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ERGISES FOR 
!ODS OF TEACHING 
IGH SCHOOLS' 



PARKE 





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Boot. M "^ X 



Ci>RflRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




WHY IS THIS BETTER, EVEN THOUGH PRIM AND UNROMANTIC ? 



EXERCISES FOR 

"METHODS OF TEACHING 

IN HIGH SCHOOLS" 



A PROBLEM-SOLVING METHOD 
IN A SOCIAL SCIENCE 



BY 



SAMUEL CHESTER PARKER 

PROFESSOR OF EDUCATIONAL METHODS IN 
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 



GINN AND COMPANY 

BOSTON • NEW YORK • CHICAGO • LONDON 
ATLANTA • DALLAS • COLUMBUS • SAN FRANCISCO 



COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY SAMUEL CHESTER PARKER 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



318.5 



yb 







^tv# 



JUL -I 1918 



GINN AND COMPANY • PRO- 
PRIETORS • BOSTON • U.S.A. 



'CLA497971 



PREFACE 

Relation to the textbook ''^Methods of Teachiiig in High 
Schools y — These exercises are intended to provide material 
for a problem-solving method of using the author's '' Methods 
of Teaching in High Schools." Thus it is one example of 
the recent movement to organize problem-solving methods 
in the teaching of the social sciences, of which education 
is one. The exercises should give the students practice in 
interpreting the discussions in the textbook and in actually 
applying these to the solution of real problems of teaching. 
For a description of the standards which the author has 
endeavored to follow in making the exercises, see page eioo, 
below, exercise lo. 

Explanation of arrangement of chapters. — Two types 
of chapters are contained in this book ; namely, chapters of 
exercises and chapters containing dii^ections for teaching 
the course and making special assignments for papers to be 
prepared by the students. The chapters of exercises are 
numbered to correspond to the chapters in the author's text- 
book on '' Methods of Teaching in High Schools." The 
other chapters are designated by capital letters (for example, 
Chapter A, Chapter B) and are distributed through the text 
at the points where they will be most effective and helpful 
when encountered in the progress of the course. The in- 
structor should study carefully all of these lettered chapters 
before beginning to teach the course so as to get a complete 
perspective view of its plan and organization. 

Page references. — In the ''Exercises " the letter e (initial 
of '' Exercises ") has been placed before the numbers of all 
the pages in order to distinguish them from the pages in the 



Evi EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

text proper. Most of the references are to the latter, but 
when the reader encounters such a reference as ''page E56 " 
he will feel immediately that this refers to page E56 in the 
" Exercises." 

Rough map of the course. — A general idea of the assign- 
ments arranged in the book may be obtained from the 
following rough map of them : 

I. Daily discussions of carefully assigned exercises. See 
page E14. 

II. Observations by the whole class of excellent illustra- 
tive lessons. Three of these observations are suggested on 
pages E34, E63, and E82. Others should also be arranged. 

III. Two lesson plans by students to be based on steno- 
graphic reports of lessons contained in the book. See pages 
EI 1 5 and EI 30. 

IV. Three long papers distributed at intervals as follows : 

1. Evaluation of selected recent high-school textbooks. 
See page E36. 

2. Summary of reading of practical articles in recent 
periodicals. See page E/i. 

3. A concluding summary paper entitled ''I shall Try to 
Apply the Following Ideas in my Teaching." See page E199. 

V. A final examination on one hundred and fifty selected 
pages. See page E232. 

Class discussions with books open. — In the class discus- 
sions of exercises noted in paragraph I, above, the students 
will have both the '* Exercises " and the text proper open 
before them for frequent cross reference. It will be found 
that these cross references require the most careful analytical 
study of both books. In order to save time in connection 
with these references a narrow bookmark may be inserted 
deep in the inner margin, at the principal place in each 
book near which the discussion centers. A narrow ribbon 
or narrow strip of paper cut from the edge of a flyleaf will 
serve this purpose. 



PREFACE Evii 

Acknowledgments . — The idea of preparing such an exer- 
cise book was derived from Professor E. L. Thorndike's 
pioneer work in this field in his '' Principles of Teaching " 
(1907). Many helpful suggestions have been received from 
Professors W. S. Gray, R. L. Lyman, and Mr. J. F. Connelly 
of the College of Education of The University of Chicago. 
From the teaching and teachers in the High School of The 
University of Chicago much of the illustrative material used 
in the exercises has been derived. I am indebted to the 
dissertation by Miss Romiett Stevens of Columbia Univer- 
sity, on ''The Question in Instruction," for portions of two 
stenographic reports of lessons, to Mr. J. M. McConnel of 
the North-East High School of Detroit for an excellent series 
of problem-solving lessons in a social science, and to Superin- 
tendent I. M. Allen of Springfield, Illinois, for a stenographic 
report of a supervised-study lesson. . I have derived many sug- 
gestions and considerable material from the work of students 
in my classes in methods of teaching in high schools. 

S. C. PARKER 



CONTENTS 

The lettered chapters contain directions to instructors and students. The 

chapters of exercises are numbered to correspond with the chapters in the 

textbook " Methods of Teaching in High Schools " 

PAGE 

Chapter A. Be a Model of Good Teaching E3 

Chapter B. Profitable Program for First Class Meeting . E7 

Exercises on Chapter I. Introduction — Scope of the 

Book Eio 

Chapter C' Assigning and Studying Exercises . . , . E14 

Exercises on Chapter II. Broadening Purposes of High- 
School Instruction E17 

Chapter D*. Short Written Tests E23 

Chapter eJ Review Discussions ......... E2 6 

Exercises on Chapter III Economy in Classroom Manage- 
ment E28 

Chapter F. First Observation Assignment E34 

Chapter G. Evaluating High-School Textbooks . . . . E36 

Exercises on Chapter IV. The Selection and Arrangement 

of Subject Matter E40 

Chapter H. Maintain Apparent Coherence E52 

Chapter I. Adapt to Length of Course E54 

Eviii 



CONTENTS Eix 

PAGE 

Exercises on Chapter V. Types of Learning involved in 

High-School Subjects E55 

Exercises on Chapter VI, Acquiring Motor Control . . E56 

Exercises on Chapter VII. Associating Symbols and Mean- 
ings : Learning a Foreign Vocabulary ..... E63 

Chapter J. Periodical Reading on Teaching Special Sub- 
jects E71 

Chapter K. Wayside Suggestions to the Instructor . . E73 

Exercises on Chapter VIII Practice or Drill E74 

Exercises on Chapter IX. Reflective Thinking .... E82 

Section I. Problem- Solving E82 

Section II. Acquiring Abstract and General Meanings . . E97 

Chapter L. Anticipate Lesson Planning E115 

Exercises on Chapter X. Forming Habits of Harmless 

Enjoyment E117 

Chapter M. Specialized Individual Observations . . . E141 

Exercises oji Chapter XI. Training in Expression . . . E142 

Chapter N. Outline of the System : Get the Transition . E156 

Exercises oji Chapter XII. Self -Activity and Appercep- 
tion EI 58 

Exercises on Chapter XIII. Influence of Age on Learn- 
ing E175 

Exercises on Chapter XIV. Interests, the Basis of Economy 

in Learning E177 

Chapter O. Be an Artist-Teacher E188 

Exercises on Chapter XV. Adapting Class Instruction 

to Differences in Capacity E190 



EX EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

PAGE 

Chapter P. Condense into a Usable System . . . . E198 

Exercises on Chapter XVI. Supervised Study . . . . E203 

Exercises on Chapter XVII. The Use of Books . . . . E216 

Exercises on Chapter XVIII. Conversational Methods . . E229 

Chapter Q. Final Examination on Selected Parts . . . E232 

Exercises on Chapter XIX. Laboratory Methods . . . E235 

Exercises on Chapter XX. The Art of Questioning . . . E241 

Exercises on Chapter XXI. Practice Teaching and Lesson 

Planning E243 

Exercises on Chapter XXII. Measuring the Results of 

Teaching E245 

Chapter R. The Last Word : Public Service and the 

Gospel of Recreation E251 

INDEX E259 



EXERCISES FOR 

"METHODS OF TEACHING 

IN HIGH SCHOOLS" 



EXERCISES FOR 

'' METHODS OF TEACHING 

IN HIGH SCHOOLS" 

CHAPTER Ai 

BE A MODEL OF GOOD TEACHING 

{To be read by instntctor and stndeiits) 

A method course should be a model of good teaching. — 

A course in methods of teaching should exempUfy in itself 
the best methods of teaching, thus serving as a model to 
the prospective teachers in the course and illustrating the 
fundamental principles of teaching which it presents. This 
exercise book is intended to aid instructors who are using 
the author's " Methods of Teaching in High Schools " as 
a textbook to conduct their courses most effectively accord- 
ing to these ideas. The principles of teaching which it 
aims to exemplify are the following : 

1. Practically worth while. — The course should seem 
worth while to members of the class. Since this is a voca- 
tional course, it should s&qy^ practically worth while ; that 
is, it should appear to each student to have definite practical 
value for him. 

2. Interesting. — The course should interest the students. 
The practical appeal suggested in the preceding paragraph 

^ This book contains two types of chapters: those designated by letters 
contain directions to instructors and students ; those designated by Roman 
numerals contain exercises paralleling the chapters with corresponding 
numbers in the author's "Methods of Teaching in High Schools," 

E3 



E4 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

provides one of the surest bases for interest. However, a 
course may be practical and still be uninteresting drudgery. 
Hence other bases of interest should be provided. Among 
these are the following : 

{a) Abundance of real examples. For most students 
abstractness is deadening ; reality gives life to the course. 

ip) Appeals to curiosity and mental activity through 
exercises which are phrased as problems. 

{c) Enjoyment of the humor in class situations. Three 
laughs during a class hour may relieve wonderfully the 
overwhelming serious tension or ennui that often comes 
from a prolonged systematic discussion. A moment of relax- 
ation after ten minutes of concentrated attention is helpful 
to continued attention. 

3. Individual differences. — The course should provide 
for individual differences in the interests and capacities 
of members of the class. This principle is especially impor- 
tant in a general-method course for prospective high-school 
teachers, since their practical interests vary so much with 
the subjects they expect to teach. Any large class of college 
juniors and seniors in a method course will be sure to contain 
some students who are interested in only one of the following 
groups of subjects : {a) literature and languages ; {b) history 
and other social sciences ; {c) mathematics and sciences ; 
id) fine and industrial arts. As a consequence, a discussion 
of methods of teaching foreign languages may be of practical 
interest to only part of the class, while a discussion of lab- 
oratory methods or training in expression may interest other 
parts. Prospective high-school teachers, however, should 
realize that in their first teaching positions they may have 
to teach subjects in which they have had no special interest 
in college. Even with this corrective, the instructor in the 
method course will secure better results if he differentiates 
his assignments with reference to the present specialized 
interests of his students. 



BE A MODEL OF GOOD TEACHING E5 

Differences in the capacities of his students should lead 
the instructor to minimize abstract assignments for members 
of the class who have little capacity for abstractions ; to 
reduce the amount of work expected of slow students ; and 
to suggest extra assignments for ambitious capable members 
of the class who desire further knowledge along certain lines. 

4. Self -activity. — The course should provide abundant 
opportunity for self-activity by the students in at least two 
forms, as follows : 

{a) There should be reflective interp7'etation by the sttcdents 
of the ideas in order to understand them. 

ib) There should be thoughtful application of these ideas 
to teachhig situations by the stude^its. This practice should 
form practical habits which the student can carry over and 
utilize in actual teaching situations ; that is, the practice 
should not be simply in elucidating theory but in applying 
theory as he should apply it when actually engaged as a 
teacher. 

5 . Profitable recitations. — Recitations should provide 
occasions for the students to interpret, criticize, supplement, 
and apply the textbook. These recitations should commonly 
be conducted with books open. The recitation is not the 
place to test the student's preparation, except incidentally. 
Short written tests should be used to test preparation. Oral 
memory recitations are futile and a waste of time. 

6. Economy of time. — Economy of the student's time 
should be obtained by presenting to him valuable educational 
experiences as expeditiously as possible. Wherever possible, 
avoid having the student waste a lot of time searching for 
an experience. To this end, observations of high-school 
teaching should be conveniently and carefully arranged, col- 
lections of the best high-school textbooks in all lines should 
be made easily accessible, and exercises, as a rule, should 
contain data for problems to be solved instead of asking 
pupils to search for the data. 



e6 exercises for METHODS OF TEACHING 

7. Condensed into usable system. — Finally, the main 
points should be strongly impressed upon the student and 
the entire course organized and condensed into a workable 
system of ideas about teaching. Upon completing the course 
each student should feel that he has mastered these funda- 
mental ideas of method and possesses clear-cut plans for 
achieving artistic success as a teacher. A number of varied 
directions and assignments are included by the author to 
attain this end. The most effective of these is the term 
paper described below, on page E199, in which the student 
is required to summarize the ideas that he does expect 
actually to use when teaching. 

Explanation of Page Designations 

An E has been inserted before the pages of the Exer- 
cises to facilitate distinguishing them from the pages of 
the '' Methods of Teaching in High Schools." When the 
instructor says ''page e6 " or the student reads ''page e6," 
the latter will know immediately that this refers to the 
Exercises, whereas " page 6 " refers to the textbook proper. 



CHAPTER B 

PROFITABLE PROGRAM FOR FIRST CLASS 
MEETING 

{To be read by instructor and students) 

The first meeting of the class in Methods of Teaching 
should be used in some profitable manner as described on 
pages 32-33 of Parker's textbook. Four possibilities are 
suggested, as follows : 

1. Information about students.-^ The instructor may take 
steps to acquaint himself with the students by distributing 
mimeographed copies of the information blank printed below 
on page eq. 

2. Outline of course. — The instructor should outline the 
plans for conducting the course, explaining the use of text- 
book, exercises, informal lecturing, library work, observation, 
written tests, etc. 

In this connection it is well to develop an outline of the 
topics of the course on the blackboard. For the topics in 
this outline see the model on page E156 of the exercise 
book. Some such anticipatory discussions of material to be 
read are always helpful to students. 

Include examples m outlme. — The outline should be 
relieved of abstractness by giving striking examples under 
each heading ; for example, under broadening purposes dis- 
cuss democratization for tw^o minutes ; under economy in 
management give some examples of large savings in busi- 
ness or classroom management ; under the special types of 
learning indicate which high-school subjects are emphasized 
in each type ; under individual differences show that the 

E7 



e8 exercises for METHODS OF TEACHING 

brightest pupil often has half of his time to loaf, etc. These 
examples may be taken from later discussions in the text- 
book or they may be original examples from the instructor's 
experience. 

3. Anticipatory assignment. — Assign exercises 11-13 on 
Chapter I and the first two exercises on Chapter II with 
textbook pages 1-13 and pages 502-505. The student's 
reading of this material should be anticipated by some dis 
cussion. The outline described above anticipates part of it. 
The discussion of science versus opinion may be anticipated 
by telling the students to note carefully in the quotation 
from Thorn iike on page 504 (which is assigned in exer- 
cises 11-13) that scientific investigations may be described 
as follows : 

(i) Impartial (4) Subject to verification by any 

(2) Objective competent observer 

(3) Mathematically precise (5) Made by specialized experts 

These points should be kept on the blackboard before the 
class, and the students should be told to consider them in 
answering exercises 11-13. 

In general, the practice of having preparatory class dis- 
cussions of material in the text before the latter is read 
might be continued to advantage throughout the course in 
assigning those portions of the book which are abstract or 
difficult to understand. In many places, however, the text 
is so easily understood that such preliminary discussions are 
unnecessary. 

4. Initiatory discussion. — Finally, if any portion of the 
hour remains, it may be spent to advantage upon a discus- 
sion of some of the earlier exercises on Chapter I. These 
exercises require no outside preparation but serve to initiate 
in the students the reflective attitude toward teaching which 
they should maintain in the course. 



PROGRAM FOR FIRST CLASS MEETING eQ 

Information about Students in the Course 

The information secured on the following blank will enable 
the instructor to study the individual interests, needs, and 
preparation of the students in the course on '' Methods of 
Teaching in High Schools." 



I. Name 2. Hometown 

3. Number of college credits 4. Expect to graduate 191.. 

5. Preparing to teach in high school the following subjects (name 

three) 

6. Courses taken in department of education, names or numbers 

of courses and names of instructors 

7. Courses taken in psycholog}^ with names of instructors 



8. Courses taken in the theory of teaching individual subjects as 
Enghsh, mathematics, etc 



9. Experience in observing teaching., 
ID. Experience in practice teaching... 



1 1 . Experience in regular te'aching (number of years, grades or 

subjects, place) 

12. Are you very timid about participating in class discussion? 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER P 

INTRODUCTION — SCOPE OF THE BOOK 

Initiation by Unprepared Exercises 

The first six exercises below raise certain issues which 
may be taken up for class discussion without preparation 
and independent of the textbook, and will help to initiate the 
class in discussing the field of methods of teaching. If 
the instructor desires to use them on the first day, before 
the students have obtained their books, they may be written 
on the blackboard or mimeographed. 

1. Factors in teacher s success, — What other factors than 
knowledge of subject matter will play a part in determining 
your success as a high-school teacher } 

2. Factors emphasized by different persons. — Of all these 
factors (including subject matter) which would each of the 
following persons be most likely to emphasize : 

(i) The president of the board of education or the superin- 
tendent in a small school system who might employ you ? 

(2) The ordinary academic co][QgQprofessor who advises you ? 

(3) Th^ professor of education! 

3. Yotir own evaluation. — Which of these factors do 
you consider the most important ? Why 1 

4. Bearing of this course. — Which of these factors do 
you expect this course or this textbook to improve in you t 

5. Preference for subjects. — If you were equally well 
prepared in the subject matter of the following subjects 

1 The chapters designated by Roman numerals contain exercises 
paralleling the chapters with corresponding numbers in the author's 
"Methods of Teaching in High Schools," 



INTRODUCTION — SCOPE OF THE BOOK eii 

and equally interested in them all, which would you prefer 
to teach ? Why ? (Note that your preparation and your 
interest in the subject are not to be factors in determining 
your preference. There must be other reasons.) 

English composition Greek history 

English literature American history 

Latin, two years Chemistry 

Mathematics, two years General science 

Civics Home economics 

6. Ease of success. — Which of the above subjects can be 
taught sticcessfully with greatest ease ? Why ? 

"Opinion" in Education versus a '* Science " 
OF Education 

The following exercises will assist in getting the class 
in a ^^ scientific'' frame of mi7id for class discussions and 
start some consideration of standards for determining the 
reliability of opinions expressed about teaching. 

7. Rank of authorities. — (a) From your previous studies 
in education name one American writer on education to 
whom you would g\wQ first rank. 

(b) What is the basis of your choice .? 

(c) Name one writer of much lower rank. 

8. Relative validity of opinions. — Compare the probable 
validity of the opinions of the writers mentioned in answer- 
ing exercise /. Whose opinions are most reliable } Why ? 

9. Value of knowing source of opinions. — (a) In view of 
the above discussion, in quoting an opinion about education 
would it be worth while to know whose opinion it is ? Why ? 

(b) In case of important issues in teaching would you 
expect college students to remember whose opinions they 
are learning? 

(c) Would you expect them to remember in case of impor- 
tant discussions in politics } in evolution t in history } 



EI 2 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Characteristics of '' Scientific " Study 

Read pages ^02-^0^. — After reading the paragraph at 
the middle of page 3 of th© textbook, read from the middle 
of page 502 to the middle of page 505. In the long quota- 
tion from Thorndike found there, note that he says that 
the judgments or conclusions of science may be described 
as follows : 

(i) Impartial (4) Subject to verification by any 

(2) Objective competent observer 

(3) Mathematically precise (5) Made by specialized experts 

Note especially what he means by '' objective " and 
" mathematically precise." The following exercises will help 
to clarify the idea of science versus opinion in education. 

10. Changing opinions to science. — After reading the 
assignment noted in the preceding paragraph note below a 
series of quotations about teaching. 

{a) Keeping in mind Thorndike 's discussion of '' objec- 
tivity " and ''mathematical precision," state in which one of 
these quotations it would be easiest to remove the statement 
from the realm, of inere opinion to the realm of verified 
scientific coftclusions. 

(h) How would you proceed to do so .? 

(c) In which case would it be most difficult to carry out 
exercise 10 (a) ? Why ? 

{d) In which case would it not be easy, but still quite 
possible ? Describe how you would proceed. 

QUOTED STATEMENTS TO BE USED IN ANSWERING 
EXERCISE 10 

(i) " Our school courses are not adapted to the average child. 
The average child cannot keep up with the work as planned, and 
the slow has even a smaller chance of doing so." 

(2) " Our schools as they now exist are better fitted for the 
girls than for the boys." 



INTRODUCTION — SCOPE OF THE BOOK EI3 

(3) "In common with all sciences, training in physics has a 
moral value. There is ... a development of conscience to be 
got from the careful statement of exact laws." 

(4) " English is almost the only opportunity available in the 
secondary school for acquainting pupils with the fundamental laws 
of art, which are also the laws of moral living." 

(5) " The average age of American pupils on entering the sec- 
ondary school, fourteen, is too high for the best results in foreign- 
language study . . . the age of ten would be better." 

(6) " It is not the school work as such which is injurious to 
the health of the ordinary adolescent, but he suffers most from 
the multitude of his outside interests." 

(7) " The younger pupils in high school adjust themselves more 
readily to its regime and do the work more successfully than the 
older pupils." 

11. Scientific fnethod in various subjects. — Compare the 
ease of making objective, mathematically precise, scientific 
studies in education with the ease of making similar studies 
in some one of the following subjects. Choose a subject in 
which you have had some experience, and explain. 



Chemistry 


Biology 


Physics 


Economics 


Geology 


Psychology 



12. Parkers text; science or opinion? — In view of the 
above discussion and the fact that the use of precise, 
objective measurement in education is in its infancy (see 
p. 502), would you expect opinion or science to predomi- 
nate in Parker's textbook } Explain. 

13. Why is education a snap? — In view of the above 
discussion, why are courses in education often considered 
a '' snap " by college students .? 



CHAPTER C 

ASSIGNING AND STUDYING EXERCISES 

How TO Assign Exercises 

Purpose of exercises. — The exercises are intended to 
provide for reflective study of the textbook by the students 
and to provide for recitations which interpret, supplement, 
criticize, and apply the discussions in the textbook. As a 
rule, each exercise grows out of some specific topic, para- 
graph, or sentence in the text, and this relation should be 
kept in mind in the teaching. 

Assign a few specific exercises and require students to 
discuss them. — In assigning exercises to be studied it is 
well to observe the following rules : 

{a) Assign specific exercises for a given recitation, each 
instructor choosing carefully those with which he thinks he 
can get the best discussions. 

ib) Limit the mtmber to approximately ten for each 
recitation. 

{c) Be sure to require the students to discuss the exer- 
cises assigned for each recitation. 

If exercises are assigned indefinitely or in too great 
numbers, or if the instructor does the discussing, most 
students will cease to prepare carefully, and the class period 
will degenerate into a slipshod discussion by students or a 
lecture by the instructor. 

Some unprepared exercises. — In addition to the assigned 
exercises upon which careful preparation is expected, unas- 
signed exercises may be taken up in class after the 
assigned exercises have been discussed. 

E14 



ASSIGNING AND STUDYING EXERCISES E15 

How TO Study for Class Discussions 

First reading. Read rapidly, not slowly. — In reading an 
assignment in the textbook for the first time, read rapidly. 
This rapid reading can be faciUtated by looking for the 
main point or points in each paragraph. The discovery 
of these points is all that is necessary at first reading. 
Reliable experimental studies have shown that slow, plod- 
ding reading is commonly much less effective than rapid 
analysis of a paragraph to lift otU its maiji ideas. 

U^tderline prijicipal phrases and words. — As the main 
ideas are discovered, underline the principal phrases or 
words. This helps in two ways; namely, (i) it aids in 
concentratiofi of attention at the time and (2) it provides 
for an easy, rapid, effective review, later. As a rule, do not 
underline whole sentences ; for the reader's purpose a part 
of a sentence is usually more effective than the whole. 

Exercises. Study the exercises and make memoranda of 
answers. — After reading the assignment in this rapid 
selective manner, study the exercises assigned, making a 
memorandum of the main point in each answer on the 
margin of the exercise book. Often it will be necessary to 
restudy certain parts of the assignment in the textbook in 
order to work put the answers to the exercises. 

Second reading. Note headlines a?td underlined parts. — 
Finally, read the assignment again rapidly, noting especially 
the paragraph headlines and underlined parts. If there are 
some parts which you do not understand readily, you may 
either pause to dig out the meaning or make a note to ask 
the instructor about them. 

Conditions. A rrange favorable physical conditions. — Be 
sure to arrange favorable physical conditions for study wher- 
ever possible, thus avoiding the distractions that arise from 
poor light, unnecessary noises, other interesting matters in 
sight ^r hearing, etc. (see Frontispiece, above). 



Ei6 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Read discussion of study, in -the textbook.— Yox a fuller 
discussion of some of the above suggestions read pages 403- 
411 of Parker's textbook, in which the factors in effective 
studying are discussed at length. 

Some suggestions for studying for zvritten tests will be 
given later in this exercise book. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER II 

BROADENING PURPOSES OF HIGH-SCHOOL 
INSTRUCTION 

Democratization of High Schools 

1. What teachers ai'e fo7\ — (a) Do you approve or dis- 
approve of the quotation entitled "What we are For/' found 
on pages 12-13 ? Why ? 

(&) Do you expect to put it thoroughly into practice or 
to modify it when you teach ? Why ? 

(c) What difficulties might you encounter in carrying it out ? 

2. Survival of the fittest, leadership, etc. — (a) Explain 
the strong points in each of the following quotations. 

ip) Point out the weak points in each. 

By the democratic Mr. McAndrews., instigator of ^^ What we are 
For.^^ — " Believe me 'the survival of the fittest,' 'the education 
of leaders/ ' the aristocracy of learning/ and ' the maintenance of 
standards ' are the most fatuous doctrines for the debilitation of 
teachers that selfish and pedantic educators ever promulgated. To 
hear a high-school teacher excuse her failure by asserting that we 
must always have hewers of wood and drawers of water and that 
high school is no place for them, makes me blush for our democracy." 

By the de?nocratic Thomas Jefferson, formidator of Ameiicaii 
principles of democracy. — In "Notes on the State of Virginia/' 
after describing free elementary schools which were to be provided, 
Jefferson said : '' These schools [are] to be under a visitor, who is 
annually to choose the boy of best genius in the school, of those 
whose parents are too poor to give them further education, and 
to send him forward to one of the grammar schools, of which 
twenty are proposed to be erected in different parts of the country 
for teaching Greek, Latin, geography and the higher branches of 
numerical arithmetic. Of the boys thus sent in any one year,, trial 

E17 



EI 8 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

is to be made at the grammar schools one or two years, and the 
best genius of the whole selected, and continued six years, and 
the residue dismissed. By this means twenty of the best geniuses 
will be raked from the rubbish annually^ and be instructed, at the 
public expense, so far as the grammar schools go." (Printed in 
E. E. Brown's "Making of Our Middle Schools," p. 207. Italics 
not in the original.) 

3. Trai7ti7ig leaders. — (a) Name seven positions from 
the presidency of the United States to shop foreman or 
floorwalker in which qualifications for leadership are needed 
even in a democracy. 

(&) Describe some of the qualifications necessary for 
siLccessful leadership in two of these positions. 

(c) At what age in school should general training for 
leadership begin t 

(d) Should any special training for special positions of 
leadership be provided during the high-school age.? Explain. 

Vocational versus Liberal Training 

4. Vocational origins of schools. — (a) For what vocations 
did each of the following provide training.? 

(i) The early Latin Grammar Schools 

(2) The early New England Academies 

(3) The original plan for the Boston English High School 

(&) How did these schools change with progress of time 
in relation to vocational training } 

5. Direct training. — What is the significance and force 
of the word '' directly," in the sixth line from the bottom 
of page 10 .? 

6. Greek idea of ''^ liberaV education, — (a) One of the 
great Greek philosophers said that the purpose of a ''liberal" 
education is to train for the beautiful enjoyment of leisure 
time. If you are familiar with Greek industrial history, 
explain the development of this conception. 



BROADENING PURPOSES OF INSTRUCTION EI9 

(b) Show its influence upon the attitudes of present-day 
classical teachers toward vocational training. 

7. Liberal education redefined. — (a) In the quotation 
from Cubberley on pages 13 to 15 underline the statement 
which seemed most tmique to you and mark it ?/. 

(h) Which of his ideas is most helpfnl in general? Why? 

8. Practical judgment. — Illustrate what is meant by the 
words '' the awakening and refining of the practical judg- 
ment of the girl," found on page 15 ; for example, what are 
some of the situations in which she has to use practical 
judgment ? 

Ultimate Aims of Teaching 

9. Phases of efficie^icy. — Describe the difference in the 
relative importance of each of the following aims in the 
education of boys and of girls', ''economic efficiency," 
'' domicstic efliciency," *' civic efficiertcy." 

10. Average civic efficiency. — In order to secure a well- 
governed city, would it be sufficient if each citizen voted 
regularly, intelligently, and with good will ? Explain. 

11. Efficiency versus morality. — (a) Which of the follow- 
ing statements, (i) or (2), do you prefer? Why? 

(i) A certain royal family of Europe were socially very efficient 
in organizing and controlling the economic, political, educational, 
charitable, and religious life of their country, but they were immoral 
because they were actuated by selfish and unhumanitarian motives. 

(2) This royal family were socially inefficient because they were 
actuated by selfish and unhumanitarian motives. 

(6) What bearing does your preference have on a state- 
ment of the aims of teaching ? 

12. Harmless enjoyment. — Discuss some of the following 
items in relation to training for the enjoyment of leisure : 

(i) Puritanism 

(2) Developments from rural to urban life 

(3) Trade unions 



E20 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(4) English industrial efficiency, gambling, and drunkenness 

(5) German singing 

Proximate Aims of Teaching 

13. Miscellaneous applications of proximate aims. — > In 
the teaching of each item in the following list indicate which 
proximate aim is most prominent, by labeling as follows : 
with Inf. if information is most prominent ; with H . if 
habits ; with Id. if ideals ; with Int. if interests. 



(i) Pulleys 


(21) Plain sewing 


(2) Washington at Valley 


(22) Putting down problems, 


Forge 


for example, in long 


(3) Chlorine 


division 


(4) Direct and indirect dis- 


3 


course 


33 I999 


(5) Kneading bread 


99 


(6) Coal and iron deposits 


instead of 


in United States 




(7) Battle of pass of Ther- 


33|999[3 

QQ 


mopylae 


vy 


(8) Bacteria 


(23) Spanish American War 


(9) Periclean Age in Athens 


(24) Use of ''shall" and "will" 


(10) Grasshoppers 


(25) Napoleon 


(11) American Constitution 


(26) Ivanhoe 


(12) Corn 


(27) Garbage disposal 


(13) Spartan life 


(28) King Arthur 


(14) Glaciation 


(29) Transportation 


(15) Logarithms 


(30) ^sop's Fables in French 


(16) Tennis 


(31) Pronunciation of ich in 


(17) Work in physics 


German or son neveii 


(18) Effect on signs of re- 


in French 


moving parenthesis 


(32) Color schemes in interior 


(19) Giving known axiom or 


decoration 


proposition as basis 


(33) Erosion 


of each new step in 


(34) Current events 


a geometry proof 


(35) Swimming 


(20) City elections 





BROADENING PURPOSES OF INSTRUCTION E2r 

14. Habits: special a7id general. — (a) Describe some of 
the very special habits acquired in arithmetic, algebra, 
geometry, or trigonometry, in the sense in which special 
is used on page 20. (Several examples could be made from 
the use of parentheses in algebra.) 

ih) On the other hand, describe some more general habits 
formed in these studies, such as the habit of constructing 
geometry figures carefully. Another example is given in 
the list in exercise 13. 

15. Habits: dissimilarities in ge?teral habits ; a difficnlt 
btit suggestive exercise. — If you have studied psychology 
try to determine how similar the several habits of accuracy 
described on page 20 really are from the standpoint of zvhat 
a perso7i really does when he is accurate in any one of the 
cases given ; for example, compare in detail the act of 
''being accurate in measuring and sawing a board to 
18 inches long" with the act of ''being accurate in de- 
scribing an automobile accident exactly as it occurred." 

16. Ideals : tecJmiqne of teaching. — A teacher said she 
taught Greek history to inculcate ideals, not to give infor- 
mation. How might she teach the battle of the pass of 
Thermopylae, or some other familiar incident, in order to be 
successful in securing the results described on pages 21-22 .? 

17. Abiding interests. — Do you consider the following 
outburst from an idealistic college student to be too Utopian } 
Explain. 

" If early in high-school a pupil's interests are awakened, aroused 
enough, in science, in English, or history or manual arts, you will 
get him, I firmly believe, to determine to continue his study even 
after he leaves high-school. Instead of a bum, a loafer, or a flunky 
to some paste-diamond studded politician, you will have a clean 
minded, alert, vividly interested young fellow bent upon further 
satisfying his curiosity in science research, in journalism or in 
studying the art of designing a really beautiful chair or table, for 
instance." 



E22 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

18. Information; remembering edncation. — Students in 
courses in education often object to learning anything defi- 
nitely and permanently. They seem to be looking merely 
for '' inspiration." 

(a) Have you acquired from Parker's textbook as yet any 
ideas which you think it would be worth while for you to 
remember until you begin teaching .? If so, what are some 
of them .? 

(&) If you have not, glance rapidly through the book and 
see if you can find two ideas that you think it would be 
worth while to remember until you begin teaching, and 
make a memorandum of them here. 

(c) On the other hand, indicate certain facts or informa- 
tion in the book which you need not remember for a long 
time, but which are useful in developing a '' point of view " 
or in giving '' inspiration " or " ideals " or '' interests." 

{d) How long should these be remembered ? 

19. Health. — Write out an exercise (question or problem) 
about ''health" which will compensate for Parker's neglect 
to include an exercise on this important proximate aim (see 
''The Last Word," Chapter R, below). 



CHAPTER D 

SHORT WRITTEN TESTS 

{^To be given frequently) 

Purpose. Provide stimtdus, diagnosis, and training. — 
The course in methods of teaching should mclwdiQ frequent 
short written tests. These tests will provide {a) a stimulus 
to study, {b) a means of diagnosis of the student's needs 
and progress, and \c) a valuable form of training. As a 
rule college students themselves favor frequent short written 
tests, as shown by the evidence given on page 495 of 
Parker's textbook. The advantages and technique of such 
testing are described at length on pages 493-502 of the 
text. This discussion should be read rapidly by the students 
and studied carefully by the instructor. 

Technique. Assign caref idly ; avoid surprise tests. — One 
written test for every four or five class meetings, and vary- 
ing from fifteen to thirty minutes in length, is sufficient to 
stimulate careful study by the students and to secure a valid 
measure of their diligence, ability, and progress. In order 
to avoid imdue nervous strain, the test should not be 
a ''surprise," but its time and scope should be carefully 
announced some days in advance, so as to enable students 
to plan their studying and reviewing for it. 

Give ample time to express main ideas. — Moreover, to 
relieve nervous tension during the period of writing, students 
should understand that they will have as much time as most 
of them need to express their main ideas. This involves a 
slight modification of the rigor recommended on pages 49^- 
497. By careful preparation of his questions, and attention 

E23 



E24 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

to the progress that the class is making while writing, the 
instructor can determine how much time to allow during 
each test. A preliminary warning of '' three minutes more " 
given before the expiration of the time helps many students 
to finish writing the ideas they have in mind. 

Formulate definite questions ; require paragraphing of 
points. — In order to facilitate grading, the questions should 
be so worded as to call for very definite answers. Students 
should be required to separate and paragraph their points. 
This practice trains the student as well as facilitates grading. 

Incltide questions on reviezv and advance reading. — It 
is well to include in each written test one question on text 
matter that has already been covered in the class discussions 
and one on advance reading; otherwise, some very bright, 
busy students will try to bluff their way through without 
doing the advance reading, depending entirely on studying 
during recitation periods. 

Assignment of first test. — The first written test may 
come very well after the class has finished the discussion of 
Chapter II, on Broadening Purposes. Include as advance 
reading part of Chapter III, to page 41, which contains 
some general theory and some practical applications. 

How TO Study for Written Tests 

Purpose. Review to tmderstand, organise, and remem- 
ber. — The following suggestions supplement those given 
above, on page ei 5, concerning studying for class discussions. 
After the rapid reflective study of an assignment recom- 
mended there, the student should review it in order {a) to 
get a better tmders landing of the main ideas by studying 
carefully the supporting details ; {b) to organize the material 
for his own thinking or to master the organization presented 
in the text ; and (c) to store up or remember some of the 
material for use in later parts of the course and some ideas 
for later use when teaching. 



SHORT WRITTEN TESTS E25 

Technique. Make indented outline of abbreviated asser- 
tions. — The first step in such careful reviewing is writing 
an outHne or brief of the main ideas. These outUnes should 
express full ideas to the person who makes them, both at 
the time and when used later for further review. Hence 
they consist of assertions and not merely topics, but the lan- 
guage may be greatly abbreviated. For example, the whole 
discussion of Luther's attitude given on page 7 of the text 
could be represented in a note as follows : 

Luther, about 1500, 

would train promising lads 

to supply preachers, scribes, etc. 

Other examples of outlines are found on pages 29, 199- 
200, and at the bottom of 209 of the text. On page 209 
notice how much is told by the effective use of brackets in 
the outline. The indenting of subordinate ideas and the 
placing of each idea on a separate line are also helpful. For 
a further discussion of the value of outlining, see pages 407, 
410, 280-281. 

Be self active in outlining. — Selective activity on your 
part will increase the effectiveness of your outlining. To 
simply copy the author's headlines or topical sentences is 
not as helpful as selecting and phrasing the points yourself. 

Review text and outlines at psychological intervals. — In 
order to secure the largest permanent retention of material 
from the fewest reviews or repetitions, it is desirable to allow 
favorable intervals of time to elapse between reviews of the 
same material instead of relying on a few continuous repeti- 
tions. Good advice concerning such distribution of repetitions 
is given in the long quotation on page 163 of the text. 

Rapid active reading in reviewing. — It is probably well 
in reviewing to read rapidly and actively, as recommended 
above, on page ei 5, in the case of studying new material. If 
time intervenes between the reviews, it is easier to make the 
reviewing be of the active, attentive type. 



CHAPTER E 

REVIEW DISCUSSIONS 

Purpose. Review ; especially at transitions. — Review 
discussions by the class or summaries by the instructor 
should be frequent. They are especially helpful at transition 
points in the course, after one large topic has been com- 
pleted and before another is taken up. They should be 
accompanied by an outline on the blackboard of the main 
points up to date. 

A sample. Picture of blackboard outline. — The out- 
line on the blackboard for the first review discussion would 
resemble that shown in the picture on page E27. 

What have we do7ie that is worth while ? — The talk or 
discussion which would accompany this outline might pro- 
ceed somewhat as follows : 

In view of the theoretical nature of our discussion so 
far, it is well to ask, What have we accomplished in our 
discussion that is worth while ? 

Developing prof essional attiticdes. — The answer is that we 
have been developing certain professional attitudes toward 
the problems of teaching. These attitudes may be described 
as follows : 

Science and opinion. — In trying to determine the best 
methods of teaching, we should give preference to the 
impartial objective, precise conclusions of scientific studies 
instead of mere opinion. If we have to rely on opinion, 
prefer that of especially qualified judges, such as John 
Locke, Dewey, and Thorndike. 

Broader aims. — The broader aims of teaching should 
also determine our choice of methods. In the modern high 

E26 



REVIEW DISCUSSIONS 



E27 



school democratic purposes are prominent and each pupil 
is given both liberal and vocational training. In analyzing 
the values of any material or method we should consider 




SAMPLE BLACKBOARD OUTLINE THROUGH CHAPTER II 
Reproduced exactly as developed in class 

the way in which it contributes health, information, habits, 
interests, or ideals as the basis of social efficiency, good 
will, and habits of harmless enjoyment. 

These ideas of teaching serve to develop a liberal-minded^ 
scientific^ democratic attitude toward our work. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER III 

ECONOMY IN CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 

Business Management versus Democratic Ideals 

1. Ideal versus routine. — What is the difference between 
an ''ideal school" and a '' well-routinized school"? 

2. School conditions versus business co7iditions. — Can 
scientific business management in classrooms be carried 
out as effectively as in manufacturing plants or commercial 
houses ? Explain. 

3. Intelligent spontaneity. — What is the significance of 
the phrase ''intelligently spontaneous," found in the first 
paragraph on page 29 ? 

4. Hozv long to routinize. — Under proper conditions, 
how long should it take for the several routine factors out- 
lined on page 27 to become automatic ? 

First-Day Teaching 

5. Review or introductio7t. — In beginning first-day in- 
struction, as suggested on page 33, which method would be 
most effective in each of the following subjects, — " review " 
or " introduction " ? Why ? 

Algebra Physiology 

English composition Botany 

Latin Cooking 
English history 

6. German: alternative beginnings. — Discuss the good 
and bad points of the following examples of what a teacher 
of first-year German might take up on the first day : 

E28 



ECONOMY IN CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT E29 

(i) The declension of the indefinite article. 

(2) The sounds of the German letters 

(a) with word examples, 
(p) purely alphabetically. 

(3) The telling of a very simple folk tale which pupils know 
in English. 

(4) A few very simple sentences with common words. 

(5) Why people ought to know German. 

(6) The easiest way to learn German. 

7. Colorful introdiLctions. — Give an interesting example 
from some other subject to parallel the use of the Darwin 
example in the following paragraph by a college student : 

"Above all things this introductory talk must not be a technical 
one ; it must be in terms of the learner ; it must be interspersed 
with colorful details which will catch pupils' interest. Casual refer- 
ence to books should be made (at same time write title and author 
on the board), with a short and interesting detail or two about the 
author's life, e.g. ' Darwin was a frail, puny boy. He was a star 
truant — instead of going to school on a bright Spring morning, 
he would sprawl under some tree near a brook and watch with all 
diligence the bugs, frogs and fish in the water. When he was a 
young man he made a journey around the world.' " 

Miscellaneous Routine Matters 

8. Seating; back and front. — Which of the following pro- 
cedures is better in classes of twenty or more pupils .? Why ? 

(i) To assign pupils permanent seats for the term. 

(2) To assign seats at the beginning of the term and inter- 
change those pupils in the front and rear parts of the room 
periodically ; for example, every two weeks. 

9. Roll call; time consumed. — (a) How many minutes 
does it take to call the roll in one recitation with a class 
of twenty students .? 

{b) What bearing does your answer have on the desirability 
of assigned seats .? 



E30 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

10. Mathematics equipment. — (a) Check the parts of the 
equipment described below which you would expect to use 
in teaching mathematics, and explain your choice. 

(&) Would you expect students to like the pictured equip- 
ment ? Explain. 

EQUIPMENT 

''A good equipment is necessary if the best results in a course 
in mathematics are to be obtained. The following is a complete 
list of materials for classroom use and for the pupil. 




pupil's equipment for mathematics 

I. Pupil's Equipment 

I No. 6 notebook, containing unruled paper, squared paper, 

and theorem paper 50 

Squared paper is used in all graphical work. Theorem paper 
may be used until the pupil has learned the conventional 
form of writing the proofs of theorems. 
I protractor (good make) 25 



ECONOMY IN CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT E31 

I compass 15 

1 ruler (with perforations) 05 

The perforations in the ruler must fit the rings of the note- 
book. Protractor and compass also should be attached to 
the rings (see picture on page E30). 

2. Teacher's Desk Equipment 

Pupils frequently lose or forget books and instruments. A 
teacher's desk equipment makes it possible to supply such pupils 
with instruments for a class period, i doz. compasses, 2 doz. pencils, 
i- doz. protractors, and 2 doz. rulers will be sufficient for this purpose. 

3. Classroom Equipment 

6 large pointers 60 

6 blackboard rulers 00 

These should be about 3 in. wide, 3 ft. long and have handles. 
A class in shopwork can easily make such rulers. 

12 blackboard compasses 3.50 

3 blackboard protractors 1.50 

2 45° large wooden triangles 0.00 

2 30° large wooden triangles 0.00 

I box colored crayons (assorted) 60 

A squared blackboard 

A very good squared board is formed by lines drawn on the 

blackboard, letting a side of a square be a little longer 

than an inch. 
A bookshelf with several of the leading texts and histories 

of secondary mathematics." — Breslich, " Teacher's Guide 

for First- Year Mathematics " 

11. Science notebooks. — How v^ould you manage the 
collection and distribution of science notebooks with three 
sections, twenty pupils in a section ? 

12. Complaijits of history notebooks. — How would you 
respond to a complaint in the high-school daily paper that 
your history notebooks required an unreasonable amount 
of work } 



E32 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

13. Lesson procedure. — Should the order of class work 
be routinized ; for example, in a foreign-language class should 
some such invariable order as the following prevail ? 

(i) Assignment of new lesson (3) Form writing 

(2) Vocabulary test (4) Translation 

14. Close of period. — Confusion and consequent waste 
often occur at the end of a period of instruction because 
the teacher has not anticipated the end. Describe a device 
that the teacher might adopt to avoid this confusion. 

Discipline and Control : Order 

15. Jesuit reserve. — Does the position of the Jesuit 
writer quoted on pages 45-47 in regard to an attitude of 
''extreme reserve" appear well taken in the light of your 
own school experience.? Explain. 

16. Class versus playground attitudes. — Should the 
attitude of a teacher towards pupils in the classroom differ 
from his attitude towards them on the playground ? Explain. 

17. "'Mr:' and ''Miss'' versus ''John" and "Mary.'' — 
(a) Should pupils be addressed as Mr. or Miss So-and-so 
or by their given names in high-school classes .? Why ? 

(&) What principle in the text applies .? 

18. Objective attitudes. — (a) On page 47 what does 
Parker mean by a '' purely objective, impersonal attitude " ? 

(&) What are the " objects " which he considers 1 

(c) What conditions to-day make it difficult for the teacher 
to keep this attitude t 

(d) Discuss the various ways by which the " objective 
attitude " might be cultivated. 

19. Tact. — Suggest tactful ways of handling these 
situations : 

(i) In a school where Latin I is compulsory a student says to 
the teacher, " My papa says Latin is unimportant anyway. I am 
going to do just enough work to get through." 



ECONOMY IN CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT E33 

(2) In an English class, outside reading of a certain kind and 
amount is assigned for a certain day. On that day two thirds of 
the class do not have it. (Is it possible that the teacher needs 
to reprove himself in this case ?) 

20. Opening remai-k. — The opening remark by a teacher 
in a case of disorder is very important. 

(a) In case you found two boys tossing a tennis ball 
in the hall, which of the following '' openers " would you 

prefer to use } Why .? 

* 
(i) "' The tennis courts are just north of the building." 

(2) " Don't you know that playing ball in the halls is forbidden?" 

(6) What opening remark would you make in the follow- 
ing cases ? 

(i) You enter your classroom and find two boys wrestling on 
the floor. 

(2) Some unknown boy throws chalk during a geometry period, 
although this form of disorder seldom occurs in your class and 
has not occurred for some time. 

Supplementary Bibliography 

CoLViN, S. S. Introduction to High-School Teaching. (The 
Macmillan Company.) Chapters IV-VI contain excellent discus- 
sions of school discipline, with practical examples. Chapter VII 
discusses economy in classroom management. Very helpful. 



CHAPTER F 

FIRST OBSERVATION ASSIGNMENT 

Purpose. Chosen to illustrate principles in Chapters II, 
III, and IV. — By the time Chapter III is completed, the 
class has a sufficient number of ideas concerning teaching 
to make a profitable observation. It is highly desirable tQ 
have this be an observation dj/ the whole class of a high- 
school lesson especially chosen to illustrate principles already 
discussed and to provide material which may be used to 
illustrate part of the discussions in Chapter IV. Hence 
we want a lesson that will provide good material for con- 
sidering the following : 

(i) Broadening purposes of high-school teaching 

(2) Routine in management 

(3) Progressive adaptation of subject matter 

General science. — For this purpose probably the best 
lesson to observe is a combined discussion and laboratory 
lesson in first-year general science. If such a lesson is 
available for observation, the class should be told to read 
the account of general-science courses on pages 85-89 in 
anticipation of the observation. If a general-science lesson is 
not available, probably a similar lesson in some other first-year 
science would provide the best examples for observation. 

Technique. Write a report according to directions on 
pages ^1^-^16. — Members of the class should be asked 
to write a report on the observation according to the direc- 
tions given at the bottom of page 515 of the textbook and 
based on paragraphs I, II, and III on page 516. 

E34 



FIRST OBSERVATION ASSIGNMENT E35 

Try to see excellent teaching. — The instructor should 
endeavor to secure an excellently taught lesson for observa- 
tion, not a mediocre or poor one. Obviously such an excel- 
lent example is more instructive for the observers, who 
should be required to analyze its excellent features. Bad 
examples do observers little goocl, and destructive criticism 
and analysis cultivates a bad spirit between the department 
of education and the school of observation. It is impor- 
tant to maintain a spirit of friendly cooperation with the 
principal of the observation school and to consult in ad- 
vance with the teacher to be observed, so that the latter 
may know what phases of method the instructor desires to 
have illustrated. 

Stimzilate free nondogmatic evaluation ; eiicourage ob- 
served teacher. — In order to encourage free expression of 
opinion on the part of the observers, it is not advisable to 
permit the observed teacher to be present at the discussion 
of the observation. In this discussion both the students 
and instructor should avoid extreme dogmatism in render- 
ing their judgments, since there is still wide range for very 
rational difference of opinion in judging many phases of 
teaching. The main points brought out in the discussion 
might be reported to the observed teacher, if he is inter- 
ested in knowing them. These points should certainly 
emphasize the excellences of the lesson, although possible 
further developments of the teacher's technique should also 
be suggested if these suggestions would seem to be welcome 
and the instructor is very tactful. 



CHAPTER G 
EVALUATING HIGfl-SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS 

{Learn to know the best in your subject) 

Purpose. Predominance of textbook teaching necessitates 
acquaintance. — In view of the fact that most high-school 
teaching is textbook teaching, one of the most practical exer- 
cises for a prospective high-school teacher is to familiarize 
himself with the best high-school textbooks in his subject. 
For example, a prospective teacher of English should be 
familiar with the best high-school rhetorics, best manuals of 
oral composition, best volumes of selected readings, and 
many books of fiction, popular science, etc. suitable for 
high-school readers. 

Assemble Textbooks 

Technique. Locate or assemble best recent texts. — While 
the instructor and institution are primarily responsible for 
providing access to up-to-date textbook collections, any 
assistance which the students themselves may render will be 
good training for them. Hence some type of cooperative 
committees may be devised by the instructor to assist in 
making suitable textbooks available for examination. 

Sources of ijtformation. — The following sources are most 
important in securing information about books which should 
be secured for examination : [a) publishing houses, especially 
the large textbook companies ; ib) reviews and advertisements 
of textbooks in educational periodicals ; {c) well-trained, dis- 
criminating teachers in high schools and, occasionally, in 
colleges. 

E36 



HIGH-SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS E37 

Dont overzvhelm students with mediocre hooks. — In pre- 
paring the collection of textbooks to be examined do not 
include books of questionable value. Endeavor to include 
only textbooks of high quality so that each student secures 
large profit from the few hours spent on the assignment. 
The collection should be reserved in the library and a 
mimeographed list of the books distributed to the students. 

Especially notable books. — Some textbooks are so greatly 
superior to others that a teacher who fails to know the best 
in his subjects is losing one of the greatest opportunities to 
improve his teaching. Each of the books mentioned below, 
for example, is an excellent piece of textbook-making and 
should be examined by every teacher of the subject concerned. 

Mathematics. — E. R. Breslich, ''First-Year Mathematics" 
and '' Second- Year Mathematics " (The University of Chicago 
Press, 191 5 and 19 16). See page 83 of Parker's text for 
a description of the content of these books. They are based 
on years of experimentation in teaching mathematics, by the 
author, who is head of department of mathematics in The 
University of Chicago High School. 

Ge7ieral science. — Caldwell, O. W., and Eikenberry, 
W. L., '' Elements of General Science " (Ginn and Com- 
pany, 19 14). The excellence of this book is due to wide 
experience of the first author as professor of the teaching 
of science and of the second author as a high-school teacher 
of several sciences (see page 88 of Parker's text for 
outline). 

History. — In this subject excellent work has been done 
under the unusually skilled editorship of Professor J. H. 
Robinson of Columbia University. The following texts are 
especially excellent examples of the series : 

Robinson, J. H., ''History of Western Europe" (Ginn 
and Company, 1903). This is the first of Robinson's texts 
(see page 75 of Parker's text for a quotation from the 
Preface). 



E38 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Robinson, J. H., ''Medieval and Modern Times" (Ginn 
and Company, 1916). This is the fourth and latest of the 
author's texts. 

Muzzey, D. S., ''An American History " (Ginn and Com- 
pany, 191 1). 

Cheyney, E. P., "A Short History of England" (Ginn 
and Company, 1904). 

English composition. — Many excellent textbooks have 
appeared recently in this subject. They are notable because 
they are written primarily from the standpoint of the high- 
school pupil instead of the college professor of rhetoric. 
Three of these are listed on page E155 and should certainly 
be known by, every prospective teacher of English. 

Authors specialize in technique of making textbooks. — 
One general reason for the excellence of these books is 
that their authors or editors are men who have made a 
very special study of the technique of making good text- 
books. Other textbooks could be mentioned which would 
also take very high rank, but enough have been named to 
illustrate the general point of special excellence in textbook- 
making and the desirability of knowing the best. 

Evaluate Selected Textbooks 
(Special assignment based on Chapter IV) 

Purpose. Apply principles determi7ii7ig selection and ar- 
rangement of subject matter. — In connection with the next 
chapter (IV), " The Selection and Arrangement of Subject 
Matter," the class should be given practice in evaluating high- 
school textbooks in terms of the principles described there. 

Amoimt of assignment depends on facilities . — The amount 
or extent of the assigned work with the books will depend 
on the number of books available and their accessibility. If a 
carefully selected collection of the best recent textbooks is 
available on reserve shelves in the university library, students 



HIGH-SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS E39 

may do much excellent evaluating of them in a brief time. 
If books have to be secured from scattered sources, so much 
time is consumed in gathering them that students cannot 
be expected to work with so many. 

Assignment. Examine prefaces and text matter. — Ex- 
amine the prefaces and text matter of several (?) textbooks 
in one or two subjects which you expect to teach in high 
school, except foreign languages. 

Write comparative paper based 07i prefaces and text. — 
Write a brief paper setting forth the extent to which these 
books embody the principles concerning the selection and 
arrangement of subject matter discussed ijt Chapter IV of 
Parker s textbook. Include in your paper the following : 

{a) Short exact quotations from the prefaces setting forth 
their use of these principles. 

ip) Your own general comparative evaluation of the books. 
Base this evaluation not only on an examination of the 
prefaces but also on an examination of the text matter itself 
to determine if the principles set forth in the prefaces are 
actually and successfully carried out in writing the textbooks. 

Detailed description of 07ie excellent textbook. — Select 
one of the best of the high-school textbooks in your subject 
and write a thorough account of its peculiar excellences, 
giving specific evidence from the content of the book to 
illustrate or justify your discussions. The principles set 
forth in Parker's chapter should form at least a partial basis 
of your description and evaluation. Other features which 
he does not consider may also be described. A preparatory 
conversational discussion of what these additional features 
may be can be carried on in class to advantage. 

Form of the paper. — In writing your paper be explicit 
and definite, and use brief, concise expressions and short 
paragraphs. 

When dtie. — The papers should be handed in by the 
time the discussion of Chapter VII is completed. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER IV 

THE SELECTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF 
SUBJECT MATTER 

Purpose. Develop sympathy with modernizing of subject 
matter. — The purpose of this chapter is to develop further 
the prospective teacher's point of view about high-school 
teaching by increasing his understanding of and sympathy 
with the rapid modemizijig of high-school subject matter 
which is in progress in the schools. 

Knowledge of nineteenth-century social developm,ent aids 
the study. — For the first part of the discussion a knowledge 
of nineteenth-century social history is especially helpful in 
making more real the general social point of view expressed 
in the quotation from Dewey, on pages 54-55. Knowledge 
of the industrial revolution growing out of the develop- 
ment of the factory system and resulting in the interna- 
tionalization of industry, including food supply, is especially 
important. In the political phase of recent social history the 
students need to appreciate the development of an intense 
interest in certain local social problems, particularly in the 
large cities. Changes in national political issues are also 
important factors, especially in connection with the issue of 
'' states' rights " versus national control. 

Individual differences. Students answer exercises in their 
special subjects. — A number of the exercises cannot be 
answered by all members of the class, but in a mixed class 
of college juniors and seniors there are sure to be some 
whose specialized courses will enable the instructor to secure 
answers to all of the exercises from some members of the 

E40 



SUBJECT MATTER E41 

class. This chapter, then, illustrates the necessity of con- 
sidering the individual dijferences in preparation and inter- 
ests among the students in conducting discussions. Specific 
exercises sJioidd be assigned to dijf event members of the class 
for prepared answers according to -their special interests 
as revealed on the information blanks described above, on 
page E9. 

Most exercises 07i English and foreign langtiages post- 
poned. — Owing to the fact that there is a very thorough 
discussion of the teaching of foreign languages and of 
English composition and literature in later chapters in the 
book, the exercises in this chapter are chosen primarily 
from other subjects. 

I. Adaptation of Subject Matter to Social Needs 

Answer if easy. — See if you can answer the first five 
exercises easily without reading the note on page E42, below, 
which gives economic data. After your first attempt read 
the note and revise your answers if it seems necessary. 

These exercises concern the interrelation of educational, 
industrial, and other social factors. 

1. Indtis trial education in Massachusetts. — Why has 
Massachusetts led other American states in the develop- 
ment of a system of industrial education } 

2. Religious conditions in New England. — (a) What 
religious denomination or belief do you think of as peculiarly 
characteristic of New England > 

(h) Why is it that Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and 
Connecticut are probably the three most strongly Catholic 
states in the United States at the present time .? 

3. Higher education in Illinois. — Why can the State 
University of Illinois easily secure from the state legislature 
great appropriations for courses in agriculture and mining 
engineering 1 



E42 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

4. Chicago district. — (a) Why will the Chicago district 
become the greatest industrial and economic center in the 
world ? 

(&) How will it probably rank as a center of education, 
medical study, religious organization, art, music, amusement 
(including moving-picture distribution) ? 

5. Economic interpretation of history. — (a) What is the 
''economic interpretation" of history? (See Seligman's book 
with this title.) 

(&) How are your answers to exercises i, 2, 3, and 4 re- 
lated to this interpretation ? (If you had difficulty in answer- 
ing exercises i to 5, reconsider them now in the light of the 
data given below.) 

ECONOMIC DATA FOR EXERCISES 1-5 

Coal and iron deposits. — Under " United States " the Britan- 
nica states that Colorado probably is the richest coal region in 
the country, having, with Utah, deposits of about 500 billion tons 
of true bituminous coal. At the headwaters of the Ohio we find 
West Virginia (231 billions), Pennsylvania (112 billions), part of 
Kentucky (104 billions), and Ohio {Z^ billions), making another 
region of about 500 billion tons. Illinois (240 billions) and 
Indiana (44 billions) make another large field, with almost 300 
billion tons. Other deposits rank much smaller. 

" Almost 95 per cent of the iron ore of the country is believed 
to lie in the Lake Superior region." 

Transportation of iron ore. — During the open navigation season 
on the Great Lakes great fleets of ore vessels carry the Lake 
Superior iron ore to Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Gary, and other 
lake ports. 

Agriculture. — In a recent year the agricultural products of 
Illinois exceeded in value those of any other state. 

In 1 9 1 6 the average value of all plowed lands in Illinois was 
$115 per acre. In Iowa it was $135 per acre, but in no other 
state did it exceed $100. With improvements included, the average 
value per acre of all farm lands in Illinois was $119 and in Iowa 
$106. In only two other states did it exceed $100 per acre. 



SUBJECT MATTER E43 

Ma7iufacturi7ig. — According to the International Encyclopaedia, 
in 1909 Massachusetts was the foremost state in the manufacture 
of textiles, including cotton goods, woolen, worsted and felt goods, 
woolen hats, cordage, twine, jute and linen goods, etc. Of boots 
and shoes made in the United States, Massachusetts manufac- 
tured 41.5 per cent. Machinery for textile and shoe factories is 
manufactured on a large scale. 

As early as 1870 the Massachusetts legislature passed a law 
adding drawing to elementary-school subjects in response to a 
petition from the leading manufacturers of the state, asking that 
some steps be taken to remove the lack of skilled designers, 
foremen, etc. 

Center of population. — In 19 10 the center of population of the 
United States was in Bloomington, Indiana. 

6. Economic infliLences on educatio7i. — Show how eco- 
nomic considerations, including agricultural, industrial, and 
commercial factors, are affecting the curriculum at the pres- 
ent time in some high schools with which you are familiar. 

7. Social progress and changes in civics. — Two popular 
civics textbooks (Andrews's ''American Constitution" and 
Fiske's ''Civil Government") which were extensively used 
until quite recently emphasize the following topics : taxation 
and government, the township, the county, the city, the 
state, written constitutions, the federal union. On the other 
hand, recent recommendations for civics courses stress the 
following topics : health, protection of life and property, 
recreation, education, civic beauty, wealth, communication, 
transportation, migration, charities, correction. Suggest the 
historical change that has taken place in American social 
life which is at the basis of this change in subject matter 
of civics. 

8. History courses and national ideals. — (a) In Prussia 
the theory of the divine right of kings, which was shat- 
tered in England in 1688, was still the basis of government 
in 191 3. Guess what the directions to history teachers 
in the public schools would say concerning teaching the 



E44 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

children about the relation between (i) the prosperity of 
Germany and (2) the efficiency of the divinely inspired 
Hohenzollern kings. (Compare Chapter R, below.) 

(&) Contrast with this Prussian situation (i) our American 
government and (2) the teaching concerning it in American- 
history courses in the public schools. 

9. History : influejice of school traditions. — (a) Until 
recently what periods of general or world history were 
most emphasized in high schools } 

(b) What was the probable origin of this practice ? 

10. Science : its hidustrialization ; botany^ chemistry. — 
(a) Students of botany or, agriculture may give illustrations 
from the activities of the National Department of Agricul- 
ture of the practical application of the evolutionary type 
of botanical knowledge mentioned on page 57. 

(6) Some of these students may examine Bergen and 
Caldwell's '' Practical Botany " (or other recent texts) and 
report examples of the way in which botany is made 
'' practical " in these textbooks. 

(c) In 1 860 Spencer emphasized the practical applications 
of chemistry in bleaching, dyeing, the working of the ores of 
iron, copper, and other metals, in sugar-refining, gas-making, 
soap-boiling, manufacture of gunpowder, glass, porcelain, etc. 
Compare ''The Chemistry of Common Things," by R. B, 
Brownlee and others (Allyn and Bacon, 19 14), with some 
older textbook as to the amount of emphasis placed on 
these practical applications of chemistry. 

11. Geometry: its elimination. — (a) Underline the most 
striking sentences in the series of quotations concerning 
geometry on pages 58-59 and mark them Ex. 11. 

(6) Does suitable ready-made, well-organized material exist 
to take the place of geometry in high schools ? Explain. 
(Compare the bottom of page 59.) 

(c) What kind of case for or against the teaching of 
geometry would you make in view of this real situation t 



SUBJECT MATTER E45 

Adaptation of Subject Matter to Local and Individual Needs 

12. Education and local social degeneration. — Do you 
think that the maintenance of well-organized agrictdtnral 
high-school courses throughout New England from 1800 to 
1900 would have prevented the dire social changes described 
on pages 62-63 ? Explain. 

13. Shoidd all be local? — Does the argument on pages 
60-65 imply that all the subject matter of a small high 
school should be selected in terms of the peculiar needs 
of the local community ? Explain. 

14. Service in small high schools. — Many of the high 
schools of the country have only one, two, or three teachers. 
Many beginning teachers have to start in these schools. 

id) Hozv many stdyects would you probably have to teach 
in such a school } 

(b) What are the possibilities of your having to teach 
subjects in which you have not specialised in college .'' 

(c) How w,a7iy recitations would you have to teach per 
day t 

id) In view of your answers to (a), (&), and (c), how much 
adaptation of subject matter to the local needs of a new 
situation will yozc^ be able to make during your first year 
of teaching .? 

(e) Certain students may be asked to read the Snedden 
article (No. 4, p. 93) and report what light it throws on the 
questions raised in this exercise. 

II. Relative Values of Subject Matter 

15. Relative importance of life's activities. — In analyzing 
the subject matter of life in connection with his discussion 
of relative values, Spencer distinguished the five classes of 
activities concerned with the following : care of children, 
leisure, health, civic affairs, making a living. 'Without read- 
ing Spencer's essay, arrange these '' in the order of their 



E46 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

importance " and justify your arrangement. (If you happen 
to know Spencer's order, let some other student answer 
this exercise.) 

16. History as descriptive sociology. — In discussing rela- 
tive values in the teaching of history, Spencer said, *' The 
only history that is of practical value is w^hat may be called 
Descriptive Sociology." 

(a) What would be the content or principal topics in 
such a history course } 

(6) To what extent does the preface from Robinson's 
history quoted on page 75 carry out the idea of teaching 
history as descriptive sociology } 

(c) In what ''field of human endeavor" was each of the 
men mentioned in Robinson's preface a great leader 1 

17. Dates. — Several eminent teachers of history sub- 
mitted the list of most important dates in American history 
given below. 

Endeavor to explain the importance of each date and its 
relative rank in importance as given in the following table : 



i.ANK 


Date 


I . . 


1776 


2 . . 


1492 


3 • • 


1607 


4 • • 


1789 


5 • • 


1620 


6 . . 


1803 


7 • . 


1 861 (April 14) 


8 . . 


1787 


9 • • 


1863 (Jan. I) 


. , 


1820 



Rank 






Date 


II . . . 1812 


12 






1765 


13 






1783 


14. 






1865 (April 14) 


15 






1850 


16 






1854 


17 






1775 


18 






1781 


19 






1823 


20 






1846 



18. Grammar. — The principle of relative values has been 
used to effect a very radical elimination of topics in the 
teaching of English grammar. In the following list mark 
with A three topics of great practical value, with B three 
topics of doubtful practical value, with C three topics that 



SUBJECT MATTER E47 

should be eliminated because of lack of practical value for 
seventh-grade and eighth-grade pupils : 

(i) Objective complement 

(2) Inflections of pronouns 

(3) Comparison of adjectives 

(4) Classification of adverbs 

(5) Verbs as to kind, number, tense, and voice 

(6) Mood (except possibly the subjunctive of " to be ") 

(7) The nominative absolute 

(8) The gerund 

(9) The uses of the relative pronouns 

(10) Proper nouns as contrasted with common nouns 

(11) Double negatives 

(12) Adverbs as distinguished from adjectives 

(13) The noun clause 

(14) The possessive of nouns 

(15) Exclamatory sentence 

(16) The sentence as a unit 

Sex hygiene: relative values. — Occasionally the author has students hand 
in exercises which raise problems along the lines of the discussion in the 
textbook. The following very good exercise was handed in by a young 
married woman who had had experience in teaching in both elementary 
and high schools. In some classes it could be discussed with advantage ; 
in others, omitted. 

(a) With the idea of the relative value of topics within a subject in mind, 
what place would you give to the following topics in a course in 
physiology or some related course .'' 
(i) Origin of life. 

(2) Anatomy, function, and hygiene of the genital (sex) organs. 

(3) Venereal diseases. 

{a) Methods of contraction. 
{b) Effects upon the individual, 
(c) Effects upon the offspring. 
{d) Eugenics. 

(4) Care and feeding of children (for girls). 

(3) Is there a real and pressing need for the treatment of such topics in 
the schools .? If so, does the need vary historically between different 
communities or between different individuals within the same com- 
munity, or is it a universal need which always has been present but 
consistently ignored t 



E48 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

19. Geography ; earth and fftan. — Think of geography 
as concerned with the relation between the earth and man, 

id) Which is most important in this conception, the earth, 
man, or the relation ? 

(6) Which has been most emphasized in the teaching of 
the ''earth sciences" (physiography and geography) in high 
schools ? 

III. Intensive Treatment of a Few Topics 

20. Geography ; a counterpane. — (a) In reading the quo- 
tation from Ritter on page J 2 what mental picture do you 
get from his use of the term '' counterpane " ? 

ih) Is it an adequate figure of speech to describe the 
ordinary textbooks in geography ? Why ? 

21. Geography ; cities. — In planning to avoid the ency- 
clopedic method of studying cities, id) name three types of 
cities that might be studied intensively. 

(6) Name one good clear-cut Amefican example and one 
good^ foreign example of each type. 

22. History prefaces. — Report from your examination of 
the prefaces of history textbooks quotations paralleling that 
of Robinson quoted on page 75 and dealing with the inten- 
sive treatment of a few topics. Cheyney's '' History of Eng- 
land " and Muzzey's ''American History" may be examined 
for this purpose. 

23. Histoiy ; types a7id economy. — How would it be pos- 
sible to carry out the intensive study of Petrarch suggested 
on page J J and still provide for the principles of economy 
of time described in Chapter HI .? 

IV. Organization of Subject Matter in Terms 
OF THE Learner 

24. Practical a^id theoretical interests. — id) Which type 
of student were you in high school, (i) one whose interest 
was most aroused by the ^o-Q2X[.Qdi practical subjects or (2) one 



SUBJECT MATTER E49 

who was easily interested in studying history, hterature, 
languages, mathematics, or science ''just for fun"? Give 
objective evidence for your answer. 

(6) What proportion of high-school students belong to 
each type ? 

(c) What bearing do the class answers to (a) and (&) have 
upon the idea of making high-school instruction appeal to 
practical interests ? 

25. History;- interest vers2is significance. — (a) What 
phases of history are most interesting to adolescent boys 
and girls (discoveries, explorations, wars, industries, religion, 
government, recreation, morals, superstitions, education, art, 
science, etc.) ? 

(6) What phases are most significaftt in studying history 
as ''descriptive sociology"? 

(c) If there is a conflict between your answers to (a) and 
(6), how would you reconcile it ? 

26. Mixed mathematics. — Underline the three most 
striking ideas in the description on pages 83-85 of the 
course of study in mathematics. 

27. Vitalizing geometry. — If you were to teach geometry 
in a city high school where the prescribed textbook consisted 
of logically arranged propositions and proofs, 

(a) What could you do to give the material some practical 
value ? 

(&) With whom would you consnlt in making these changes ? 

(c) What would be your chief difficulties in making any 
changes ? 

id) How would you proceed in having a more modern 
course of study and a reconstructed textbook adopted ? 

28. General-science cotcrses ; evaluation. — (a) Examine the 
topics listed in the general-science courses on pages 87-89. 
Taking the two courses together, mark the topics as follows : 

With In. B the five topics which you think would be 
most interesti7tg to boys. 



E50 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

With In. G the five of greatest interest to girls. 

With Pr. B the five of greatest practical value to boys 
who attend only one year of high school. 

With Pr. G the five of greatest practical value to girls 
who attend only one year. 

(&) On the basis of this grading, which course seems to 
be the better .? 

(c) What points are there in the outline of the other 
course which might be in its favor } 

29. General science; a ^^ hodgepodge.'' — The greatest 
objection made to general-science courses by conservative 
specialized science teachers is that each course is a mere 
''hodgepodge." How would you answer this objection.? 



Supplementary Bibliography 

The following publications appeared after the publication 
of the textbook and are supplementary to those noted in 
Chapter IV, page 93, of the text. 

1. Breslich, E. R. First-Year Mathematics and Second-Year 
Mathe?natics. (The University of Chicago Press, 19 15.) These 
textbooks carry out the plan described on pages 83-85 of the text 
and are excellent examples of mathematics textbooks adapted to 
the needs and interests of the general type of high-school pupils. 

2. The Teaching of Community Civics. Bulletin No. 23 {whole 
number^ 6^0), United States Bureau of Education, 19 15. An ex- 
cellent outline and discussion of an up-to-date course in civics. 

3. Fourteenth and Sixteenth Yearbooks of the National Society 
for the Study of Education, Part I, entitled Mi/iimum Essentials 
in Elementary-School Subjects. (School and Home Publishing 
Company, Urbana, Illinois, 19 15 and 19 17.) Contains material 
on relative values of topics in mathematics, grammar, history, 
geography, and other subjects. 

4. Hill, H. C. Teaching History by Type Studies. History 
Teachers Magazine, April, 1913, Vol. IV, pp. 98-103. 



SUBJECT MATTER E51 

5. Leavitt, F. L., and Brown, Edith. Elementary Social 
Science. A new type of elementary material in economics and 
civics. (The Macmillan Company, 19 17.) 

6. Osgood, E. L., and Richman, Julia. Experimental Course 
in Industrial History. History Teachers Magaz'me^ 19 16, Vol. VII, 
pp. 98-102. 

7. United States Bureau of Education. Lessons in Community 
and National Life. Bulletins beginning October, 19 17. Elementary 
lessons with questions. The national government making text pam- 
phlets to achieve national reforms through education. A significant 
innovation. Write to the Bureau. 



CHAPTER H 

MAINTAIN APPARENT COHERENCE 

Purpose. Keep connectedness of disciLssion clear to class, 
— While piloting the class through discussions, the in- 
structor must take care to maintaift a well-planned con- 
nectedness in the discussions and to keep this connectedness 
clear to the class. Thus he must not only secure coherence 
in the progress of the discussions but also apparent coher- 
ence. The quality of coherence in a course is described on 
pages 90-91 in the textbook in connection with the dis- 
cussion of the logical quality of reconstructed high-school 
courses in mathematics and science. To this logical idea 
of coherence should be added the rhetorical idea of keep- 
ing the continuous connected character of the discussion 
apparent to the audience. 

Devices used in the text and exercise book for apparejit 
coherence. — The author has endeavored to secure appar- 
ent coherence in the textbook itself by the use of reviews 
and carefully planned t^^ansitional pa^'agraphs and sen- 
tences. In the exercise book the exercises are arranged, 
as a rule, not in a haphazard or miscellaneous manner, but 
in an order that will develop a discussion parallel to the 
discussion in the text. The insertion of topical headings 
among the exercises is intended to facilitate further the 
maintenance of apparent coherence in the discussions. 

Value. Develops a tisefnl system which facilitates re- 
membering and applying. — If the instructor strives for 
apparent coherence, as here recommended, the students 
will gradually develop a ^system of ideas about methods of 
teaching. Such a system will not only enable them better 

E52 



MAINTAIN APPARENT COHERENCE 



E53 



to tmderstand the problems of teaching but it will also 
facilitate remembering worth-while information and the 
applicatioji of the ideas later, when engaged in teaching. 

Technique. Use transitional reviews, progressive outlin- 
ing, summaries, and introductions. — The type of transi- 
tional review described above, on page E26, is one step in 



u-Ow, M^ (j]N^y\j<JQ\ 






2-^ ^yy^ 



|,l<rtX^ wjuui^ 



2 0^^4X11.. J ,^ ,, 



^,(UlsS^ 



(ffnJll 



1 f ^u^l^ 



'fVy^(M^^ 



SAMPLE BLACKBOARD SUMMARY 

Reproduced exactly as developed in class. Notice the effectiveness of the arrowed 
line showing the transition from part IV to part V 

the process of maintaining apparent coherence. Continu- 
ous development of sketchy outlines on the board during 
discussions is another step. Summarizing at the end of 
each period, and recall of this summary at the beginning 
of the next period, followed by a statement of the main 
problems for the day's discussion, are further steps. 

Blackboard picture. ■ — See the picture above for a black- 
board outline of the course up to this point, with the transition 
to learning processes represented in Chapter V. 



CHAPTER I 

ADAPT TO LENGTH OF COURSE 

Material for fifty recitations. — This book contains 
enough exercises for about 50 recitations with college 
juniors or seniors, or graduate students. This estimate is 
based on the fact that there are about 400 exercises, which 
would be used at the rate of 8 or 10 for each recitation. 

Omit selected chapters in shorter course. — If fewer 
recitations are available, carefully selected chapters should 
be omitted entirely ; namely, those whose practical applica- 
tion is rather indefinite or narrow in ordinary high-school 
teaching. Among these chapters are the following : Chap- 
ter VI, Acquiring Motor Control ; Chapter VIII, Practice or 
Drill ; Chapter XIII, The Influence of Age on Learning. 

Slower pace for younger students. — The younger the 
students in the course the slower should be the pace, 
since each exercise chosen would need more discussion to 
secure adequate understanding with college juniors than 
with graduate students. 

Select exercises carefully. — Again the instructor is 
admonished to study carefully the exercises before assign- 
ing them, and to assign only those with which he thinks 
he can secure the most profitable discussions. As he 
acquires familiarity with the exercises and their possibil- 
ities, his choice may vary to suit the assignments to the 
varied interests of his students and to different classes. 



E54 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER V 

TYPES OF LEARNING INVOLVED IN HIGH- 
SCHOOL SUBJECTS 

1. Write a szimmary. — State in your own words five 
concisely worded, fundamental propositions concerning 
high-school work that summarize the parts of the book 
studied up to this point. Write out yozcr answer to this 
question mid hand it in. 

2. Identify types of learning. — Which of the types of 
learning outlined in this chapter are prominent in each of 
the following activities ? Explain. 

Knitting. 

Pronouncing ich in German. 
Reading " Ivanhoe." 

Reading " Burke's Speech on Conciliation." 
Reading " Treasure Island." 

Reading Robinson's " History of Western Europe." 
Reciting on each of the above books. 
Using der^ die, and das correctly in German. 
Understanding the rules for the correct use of the German 
articles. 

Typewriting. 

Changing signs and removing parentheses in algebra. 

Translating Vergil. 

Debating the desirability of capital punishment. 

Describing apparatus used in chemistry. 



E55 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER VI 

ACQUIRING MOTOR CONTROL ^ 

Topic of general interest. — So many persons are en- 
gaged in acquiring motor skill, either in school or out of 
school, zvith instruction or without instruction, that this 
chapter will prove of more general interest and application 
than would be expected from the specialized professional 
interests of the students. In addition to examples sug- 
gested in the text there are many others, such as learning 
to ride horseback, to swim, to knit, to knead bread, to 
finger a guitar, to blow a clarinet or cornet, to dance, etc. 

General Principles 

1. Personal example. — Describe an example, from your 
present or recent experience, of an activity in which you 
have been trying to acquire motor skill under instruction 
or trying to teach it to others. Indicate to what extent 
each of the questions outlined on page 99 has had, or may 
have, a bearing on teaching the activity described. 

Write out your answer to this question and hand it in. 

2. For tmprepared discttssion. — After several of the 
papers in answer to exercise i have been read in class, 
show how the answers to the questions on page 99 may 
vary considerably with the type of skill being acquired. 

3. Moving the ears. — Look in a mirror and try to move 
your ears. 

{a) Describe what you actually do. 

1 Omit this chapter in a short course. 
E56 



ACQUIRING MOTOR CONTROL E5; 

(b) What ideas or mental states serve as the '' cue " to 
what you do ; that is, how do you start or control what 
you do ? 

(c) What instructions would you give a person if you 
were trying to teach him to move his ears ? 

4. Negative versns positive directions. — (a) Does the 
Hof mann picture on page 1 1 3 violate the instructions about 
positive and negative directions given on pages 103-104 ? 
Is the violation justified ? Explain. 

(&) Answer the same question for the Frontispiece of this 
exercise book (two pictures, one showing how not to study 
and the other showing how one shoiLld study). 

(c) In general, under what conditions would negative 
directions seem to be permissible or helpful ? 

5. Moving pictures. — Kinetoscopic pictures like those 
on page 107 may be very helpful in increasing the speed 
of bricklayers. Would they be equally useful in teaching a 
trick like the ''kip," described on page no.? Why.? 

6. Skill in demonstration. — When a teacher of construc- 
tive or laboratory work, or of cooking or gymnastics, is 
demonstrating to a class how to perform an act, what are 
some of the special precautions which he needs to take to 
be assured that all members of the class get clear ideas of 
what is to be done t 

Special Applications 

7. French pronunciatio7t. — Students who read French 
may translate the following quotation, and indicate to what 
extent it agrees or disagrees with the discussion in Parker's 
textbook and what additional ideas it provides : 

" Avec Tenseignement de la grammaire celui de la prononcia- 
tion reclame toute la tenacite d'insistance et tout I'esprit de 
methode dont le professeur est capable. Je me suis efforce, dans 
la modeste mesure 011 un livre peut servir a cette fin, d'aider le 
professeur dans cette partie si fatigante de sa tache. Je n'ai pas 



E58 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

voulu faire usage de I'ecriture phonetique. Elle n'est pas neces- 
saire et elle est encombrante. Le maitre qui prononce bien, qui 
sait faire entendre distinctement une phrase et assez longtemps 
avant d'en demander la reproduction, et qui, en meme temps, 
n'oublie pas d'indiquer pour certains sons la position que pren- 
nent les organes dans leur emission, ne peut manquer d'obtenir 
de ses eleves une pronunciation honnete sans avoir recours a 
I'ecriture phonetique.^ II ne faut pas faire reposer I'enseignement 
de la prononciation sur la lecture, fut-elle guidee par des signes 
phonetiques. Ce serait substituer le plus souvent une diction 
hachee, lourde, monotone, sans intelligence, a la phrase alerte, 
rythmee selon le genie de la langue etrangere et dont I'audition 
et la repetition intensives, loin de toute representation ecrite, sont 
seules capables de donner de la finesse et de la promptitude a 
I'oreille de I'eleve, et a sa gorge de la surete et de la souplesse." 
— E. Gourio, " La classe en Frangais." 

8. Phonetic pronunciation. — In teaching a simplified 
phonetic scheme for learning pronunciation, such as that 
described on pages 117-118, which of the following prac- 
tices would you favor ? Why ? 

(i) To devote the first four or five lessons of first-year German 
exclusively to drill on the phonetics and pronunciation. 

(2) To begin with simple oral conversational exercises or oral 
reading and introduce the phonetic scheme gradually along with 
the conversation or reading. 

9. System. — Would the plan of teaching pronunciation 
described in (2) in exercise 8 be necessarily unsystematic ? 
Explain. 

10. Vocal training: singing. — A vocal teacher maintained 
that his whole system of instruction consisted in teaching 
pupils about the structure, function, and control of the 
diaphragm in relation to breathing. As an example of his 
methods he stated that often when he wanted to teach a 
new pupil diaphragmatic breathing, he got the pupil to 
laugh or chuckle and then to continue to breathe in the 
same way when singing. 



ACQUIRING MOTOR CONTROL E59; 

(a) What assistance did knowledge of the structure and 
function of the diaphragm give the pupil in this case ? 

(&) What bearing does the discussion of pronunciation at 
the top of page 116 have on this example ? 

(c) Which method of voice instruction described on 
pages 1 1 2-1 1 3 was this instructor using, the old Italian 
method or the modern mechanical method ? 

11. Vocal trainmg: singing. — (a) What conclusions 
would you derive concerning teaching vocal control from 
the experiences of a student quoted below ? 

(&) How valid would these conclusions be from the stand- 
point of the characteristics of scientific procedure discussed 
earlier in the course and summarized above, on page e 1 2 ? 

"EXPERIENCES WITH TWO VOCAL TEACHERS 
" First Teacher 

" My first lessons in voice consisted in a description (i) of the 
different organs concerned, (2) of their ways of working when 
talking, laughing, etc. 

" When told to say 'ah — eh — oh ' etc., I was so conscious of 
the movement of my chest and diaphragm that these muscles 
were in such a tension that the teacher could do nothing with 
me, though my breathing was naturally correct. 

" All her verbal directions seemed to confuse me, and trying to 
imitate her notes was a failure because my mind was on whether 
I had my breath in my stomach or not. 

" Often I was quite successful in making pure tones but never 
did get on to how I did it and consequently the next time was the 
same old thing to go through with — a hit and miss affair. 

''This teacher moved away and I had the opportunity to try 
another one. 

" Second Teacher 

" This one started out by saying she supposed I knew how to 
breathe as I had been taking voice and I answered yes. 

'' Her next remark was that anyone who could breathe well 
and open his mouth could sing. 



e6o exercises for METHODS OF TEACHING 

" She while playing over several chords began to enter into a 
lively conversation and suddenly asked me to follow her voice in 
a simple little song with which I was quite familiar. 

" She stressed attention on her tones, naturalness, ease and 
buoyance of spirit. I had no trouble whatever in making good 
tones most of the time. There were times when I failed but usually 
when I was feeling real good and lively the tones came just as if I 
could pick them off my lips. 

" She often put a mirror before me later on to show the workings 
of my diaphragm, to keep me from shrugging my shoulders and 
to observe the facial movement. Strange to say I was perfectly at 
ease before a mirror and it proved quite effective." 

12. Btmk. — {a) In- view of exercises lo and ii above, 
do you think the term "bunk" would be a good one to 
designate many of the claims concerning special methods of 
teaching voice, pronunciation of a foreign language, and other 
forms of skill 1 Explain. (Look up the terms " buncombe," 
*' bunkum," and '' bunko " in an unabridged dictionary.) 

(&) If you do not approve of the term '' bunk," what word 
would you suggest that is equally strong .? 

13. Vocal training: an exercise for teachers of ' public 
speaking. — (a) Evaluate the following instructions for high- 
school pupils in public speaking in terms of the discussion 
in this chapter. Indicate Yj\\2it principles apply. 

ip) Point out any questions which may arise in the evalu- 
ation which are not discussed in the text. 

(c) Would there be any difference in the value of physio- 
logical directions in training singers as discussed in exercises 
lO, II, and 12, and their value in training public speakers.? 
Explain. 

^'GOOD BREATHING 

" The following physical signs indicate correct ijihalation : 

'' (i) The diaphragm will drop gently down. 

" (2) The abdomen will slightly expand. 

" (3) The short ribs will pull apart, and upward. 



ACQUIRING MOTOR CONTROL e6i 

" (4) Slight expansion can be felt in the small of the back. 

" (5) The upper part of the lungs will expand as far as the 
more rigid upper ribs will allow, without, however, lifting the 
shoulders. 

" (6) The central point in the chest, the dominant center of the 
body, will rise from one to two inches. 

" (7) One will feel buoyant, light on his feet, ready to float in 
the air, as a vessel filled with air will float on the water. 

"The ioWowing Jf/iysical sig-fis indicate incoi^red hreathiiig; 

" (i) In normal inhalation it is always wrong to lift the shoulders. 

" (2) It is wrong to feel expansion only in the upper part of 
the chest. 

" (3) When expansion of the top and sides of the chest is 
accompanied by a flattening of the abdomen, breathing is imper- 
fect. The abdomen should expand. 

" (4) It is wrong to fill the upper part of the chest first. First 
fill the lowest cells in the lungs. 

'^ To fill the lower parts of the lungs, one needs to feel that his 
voice reaches down through his mouth, throat, and windpipe, to 
the very lowest cells of the lungs. He should feel that the seat of 
the voice rests on the diaphragm. Vocalization, therefore, starts 
with the movement of the diaphragm. 

'' (5) Few general rules can be given as to v/here in utterance 
one should pause for breath. One can only say, breathe at every 
convenient pause ; do not breathe too often, and never breathe too 
deeply. 

"EXERCISES IN GOOD BREATHING 

'' (i) Place the thumbs on the small of the back, the palms and 
fingers lying flat on the lower, or short, movable ribs. Breathe in 
deeply through the nose, allowing the expansion of the lower part 
of the chest to pull the hands apart. 

" Breathe and say : ^ I feel the diaphragm falling as my lungs 
fill with air.' 

" (2) Breathe and say : ' I feel the short ribs pulling my hands 
away from each other.' 

" (3) Breathe and say : ' I want to have large, full expansion of 
the lower part of my lungs.' 



e62 exercises for METHODS OF TEACHING 

" (4) Place the fingers upon the small of the back, the thumbs 
in front, just above the hips, breathe in a low, deep breath. 

" Say : ' This deep breath causes the small of my back to 
expand.' 

" (5) Breathe and say : ' I want my back to expand as much as 
possible, when I breathe deeply.' 

" (6) Say : ' As I speak, I feel my voice resting down upon 
my diaphragm.' 

"(7) Feel the stroke of the diaphragm against the bottom 
of the lungs. 

"Say: 'Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!' 

" (8) Breathe deeply after each word. 

" Say : ' My ' words ' start ' from ' the ' very ' bottom ' of ' 
my ' lungs.' 

" (9) ' Cry ' Heaven for Harry ■ England I and ' St. George ! ' 

" (10) Breathe, talk out of the lungs filled deeply ; take a deep 
breath at indicated points. ' Classmates, the first principle of good 
vocalization ' is that we must keep oiir lungs ' full of breath '. Now 
that my lungs are filled deeply ' I am able to speak firmly and 
strongly.' My voice seems to be resting on my diaphragm.'" — 
Fundamentals of Oral English. Bulletin No. 682, University of 
Wisconsin. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER VII 

ASSOCIATING SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS: 
LEARNING A FOREIGN VOCABULARY 

Observation. Arrange to observe French or German lesson. 
- — An observation of a lesson m first-year German, French, 
or Spanish should be arranged to take place after the class 
in methods of teaching has spent one or two hours discuss- 
ing this chapter. The lesson observed should illustrate either 
(a) the direct method or {b) the transition from translation 
to reading without translation in case an indirect method 
is used. (In the fall a second-year class would serve better 
for this second purpose.) It is well to arrange with the 
language teacher to have included in his lesson the three 
following phases : (i) practice m pronunciation ; (2) vocabu- 
lafy work, that is, learning meanings of some new words 
and practice with old ones ; (3) practice in correct gram- 
matical usage. Thus the observation will illustrate the three 
phases of language instruction discussed in Chapters VI 
and VII. The observers may be asked to write a brief 
evaluation of the observed lesson under the three headings 
noted above. 

ASSOCIATIONAL PROCESSES IN LANGUAGE StUDY 

1. Reading verstis expressing. — Note on pages 124-125 
the distinction between the associational processes in reading 
and those in expressing, (a) Does ability to say the alphabet 
forward enable one easily to say it in the reverse direction .? 
How do you proceed when you try to reverse it .? 

E63 



e64 exercises FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(6) Answer (a) for '' My Country, 'tis of Thee." 
(c) In view of your answers to (a) and (b), to what extent 
does training in reading a foreign language train a person 
to express himself in the language ? Explain. 

2. Persistence of i^itermediate links, — (a) How long does 
the intermediate link shown in the diagram at the top of 






>7U5VV VJ 



^^^:ki^Mk^ 



SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT ON BLACKBOARD 

Each day, while the class is assembling, the' instructor should write memoranda of 

outstanding assignments on the blackboard, using always the same corner of the 

latter, so that students will form the habit of noting them 



page 125 persist when one is taught a foreign language by 
the indirect method ? Explain either in terms of the theory 
of association or in terms of your own experience in study- 
ing a foreign language for several years. 

(b) What devices can a teacher use after the first half- 
year of indirect instruction to eliminate the intermediate 
link ; that is, to train pupils to use their acquired vocabulary 
so as to read without translating } 



ASSOCIATING SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS E65 

(c) It has been said that the emphasis oy). oral reading in 
elementary schools tends to make slozv readers of children, 
to interfere seriously with their acquisition of habits of rapid 
silent reading. Try to explain this contention by means of 
a diagram showing pron7mciatio7i as an intermediate link. 

(d) Some students may be able to give other examples of 
the persistence of intermediate links ; for example, trans- 
posing to a '' favorite " key or a '' universal " key in playing 
a musical instrument. 

3. Direction of arrows. — In the diagram on page 127 
why do the arrows point away from the picture of the book 
instead of toward it t 

4. Thinking in foreign language based on seiHes of events. 
— Explain somewhat more fully than is done at the top of 
page 128 or middle of page 131 the advantages' claimed for 
teaching a series of verbs by the direct method as compared 
with teaching the names of a series of objects. In other 
words, show how the use of action or narrative material 
provides a better basis for thinking in a foreign language 
than does the mere use of objects. Use the last four sen- 
tences on page 130 or the ten numbered sentences at the 
top of page 133 to illustrate your explanation. 

Direct Methods for Inexperienced Teachers 

5. AmateiLr tise of direct method. — If a teacher of a 
foreign language who speaks it only haltingly haci some 
good supervised practice-teaching in the first three months 
of a good ready-made direct system, should she choose to 
use a direct or an indirect method } Explain. 

6. Ready-made m-aterial. — Give other examples (some 
of which may have been discussed earlier in the course) of 
the faihire of educational reforms to make progress owing 
to the lack of good ready-made material for inexperienced 
teachers. 



e66 exercises for METHODS OF TEACHING 

GouiN Series 

7. Qualities of a good first series. — (a) Criticize the series 
given below in the Ught of the directions which follow it. 

The first series in a well-known system for teaching English to 
foreigners contains, among others, the following sentences : 

"Title — GETTING UP IN THE MORNING 
Ve^bs 

awake I awake from sleep, 

open I^ open my eyes, 

look I look for my watch, 

must get up I must get up. 

throw back I throw back the bedclothes, 

put on I put on my pants, 

put on I put on my stockings and shoes, 

wash I wash myself. 

" The directions for teaching any series read in part as follows : 
" Then, as far as possible, bring the articles of which you speak 
into the classroom. Play your part with these implements. Exe- 
cute, wherever you can before the whole class, each successive 
step described in the lesson. In this way, if you act the part well 
and speak plainly, never hurrying and never impatient, the class 
that is wholly foreign in tongue will soon comprehend your mean- 
ing and begin to talk and understand the English tongue." 

(&) Evaluate the series at the bottom of page 130 and the 
top of page 132 from the point of view of the above directions. 

8. Possibility of dramatizing meanings. — (a) In viewing 
a moving-picture performance does an observer necessarily 
convert the pictures into words in his mind 1 

(b) What bearing does your answer have on the validity 
of the theory of association upon which the Gouin method 
is based .? 

(c) In connection with the matter of gestures, what is one 
of the greatest dangers of misuse of the Gouin material by 
an inexperienced or careless teacher .? 



ASSOCIATING SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS E67 

(d) Perform the gestures which you would use in drama- 
tizing the meanings of the following sentences : 

I stretch out my arm. 
I take hold of the knob. 
I turn the knob. 
The door opens. 

I look for the first page. 
I find the first page. 

It is hot. 
It is cold. 

9. Use of synonyms and opposite s. — Often a synonym or 
opposite of a new word is known or can be taught more 
easily than the new word ; for example, in English, '' refuse" 
can probably be taught by dramatization more easily than 
''accept." ''Right" and "left" can be more easily taught 
together than separately. A teacher of French says, " 'Taisez- 
vous ' signifie en fran^ais ' cessez de causer.' " 

Give examples from English, French, or German illus- 
trating how you would teach words or phrases by use of 
synonyms or opposites without recourse to translation. 

10. Pasting verszis copying. — Would you have pupils 
paste the printed series in their notebooks or copy them and 
return the originals 1 Why .? 

11. Correct grammatical usage. — (a) Show how the series 
on pages 130 and 132 might be used to give training in 
grammatical usage of different forms of verbs (person, num- 
ber, tense), as suggested by Handschin on page 136. 

(h) If the discussion of grammatical usage on page 137 
is correct, is there any valid reason for teaching tabulated 
declensions and conjunctions at all} Explain. 

12. Temperame7it. — What part does temperam,ent play in 
the success of a teacher who uses the Gouin method ; for 
example, what one word best designates the most effective 
temperament } 



e68 exercises FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

13. Spontaneous material. — It might be argued that a 
teacher should develop his conversational material in the 
foreign language spontaneously from the daily experience of 
the class. What are the objections to this practice ? 

14i Material for French lessons. — {a) Students of French 
may give the principal ideas of method contained in the 
preface of Gourio's textbook, quoted below. 

(&) Indicate to what extent it agrees or disagrees with 
Parker's discussion or gives additional ideas of method. 

" Le professeur de langue vivante peut augmenter considerable- 
ment Tefficacite de son premier enseignement en se servant de la 
langue enseignee pour diriger sa classe. Aussi cet ouvrage offre-t-il 
tout d'abord a I'etude les vocables qui expriment la vie de la classe. 
Et ces vocables il les ordonne de maniere a permettre un enseigne- 
ment direct qui soit rapide et sur. II se soumet par consequent a 
I'obligation qu'impose la methode directe de doser legerement les 
legons, de graduer avec le plus grand soin les difficulte's, de passer 
du concret a I'abstrait et du particulier au gene'ral, bref d'etablir 
dans I'enseignement un enchainement tel que la signification des 
mots e'tudies puisse servir peu a peu a decouvrir celle des autres. 
Est-il besoin d'ajouter que cette ordonnance rigoureuse, si elle est 
indispensable dans la maniere directe, ne peut que convenir au 
professeur indirect, c'est-a-dire a celui qui pref ere introduire le mot 
frangais a I'aide du mot maternel ? Celui-ci, en effet, doit se tenir 
en garde contre la facilite' que lui offre I'instrument de la traduc- 
tion d'entrer au hasard dans la langue etrangere et d'y decouper 
de trop larges tranches de vocabulaire et de grammaire. 

Cet ouvrage ne vise pas a enseigner un vocabulaire etendu. Ce 
qui importe d'abord c'est I'enseignement des formes, de montures 
de langage oii Ton sertit les mots du dictionnaire a mesure des 
besoins. Peu de mots, incessamment rappeles dans les formes 
grammaticales essentielles ou le verbe et les pronoms qui gravitent 
autour du verbe sollicitent le principal effort de I'eleve, tel est le 
programme qui me semble s'imposer au de'but. Et c'est seulement 
au moyen d'exemples vecus, greffes pour ainsi dire sur les realites 
de la classe, abondants, constamment entendus et repe'te's qu'on 



ASSOCIATING SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS E69 

peut enseigner d'une maniere efficace cette grammaire fonda- 
mentale. La pedagogic qui se contente de la faire apercevoir a 
travers des regies seches et des exemples rares est aujourd'hui 
condamnee." (See No. 6 in the bibliography below.) 

15. Vitalizing ijidirect method.— Sho"^ how some of the 
devices of the direct method might be used to vitalize or 
supplement the indirect method. 

Additional Bibliography 

1 . Roberts, Peter. Eiiglish for Coming Americans. (Associa- 
tion Press, 124 E. 28th St., New York.) Y.M.C.A. material for 
teaching English to foreigners. The teachers' manual (50 cents) 
is one of the best Gouin manuals in English. The oral series, 
readers, charts, and drill cards are helpful and suggestive. 

2. Gouin series. Gouin lessons in French, German, and Span- 
ish may be secured from the Series Publishing Company, Oxford, 
Ohio. ^ 

3. Oliver, T. E. Suggestions and References for Modern 
Language Teachers. School of Education Bidletin (University of 
Illinois, Urbana, Illinois), Revised Edition, 19 17 (price, 25 cents). 
Excellent descriptive list of materials to be used in teaching 
modern languages. 

4. The Modern Language fonr7ial. Concerning this publication 
Oliver writes as follows in reference No. 3, above: ^^The Modern 
Language fou?'nal, dealing specifically v/ith pedagogical aspects, 
has just begun publication and deserves the support of all progres- 
sive teachers. The subscription price of $1.50 per year includes 
also membership in the newly-formed 'Association of Modem For- 
eign Language Teachers of the Central West and South,' which 
holds annual meetings in April. Address the Secretary, Professor 
C. H. Handschin, Oxford, Ohio. A similar society in the east is 
' The Federation of Modern Language Teachers,' which cooperates 
with the western association in the above journal. This journal 
is destined to become invaluable to the modern language teacher. 
1916-1917 will be Volume I. There are to be eight numbers 
a year." 



E/o EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Direct-method texts in German and French. — In order to secure 
a start in using a direct method, beginning teachers of German or 
French will probably have to rely on textbooks which are avail- 
able. In choosing a text they should notice to what extent it 
possesses the following features: (i) early introduces the con- 
versational phrases to be used in class intercourse; (2^ provides 
Gouin-series material for teaching the names of ordinary objects in 
the classroom and ordinary activities ; (3) provides pictures for 
teaching the names of other objects ; (4) introduces systematically 
and grdidudiWy frequent practice in profiunciation -^ (5) provides for 
systematic, repetitional vocabulary building, so that words once 
learned are repeated and used until learned permanently \ (6) pro- 
vides systematic training in correct grammatical usage or practice, 
with few grammatical rules ; (7) contains attractive easy narrative 
reading material as the basis of beginning fluent reading ; (8) pro- 
vides ready-made questiofts in the foreign language on the reading 
matter, to which pupils may prepare the answers in the foreign 
language during the study period ; (9) uses historical or geographi- 
cal narrative material relating to Germany or France; (10) uses 
various devices to secure interest, such as jingle rimes and songs 
in the foreign language. 

As a start in evaluating textbooks from the above standpoints, 
students may secure the following books and note in which features 
each is weak or strong : 

5. GoHDES, W. H., and Buschek, H. A. Deutsches Sprach- und 
Lesebuch. (Henry Holt and Company, 19 12.) Gronow, Anna T. 
fung Deutschland. (Ginn and Company, 19 12.) Manfred, M. E. 
Ein praktischer Anfang. (D. C. Heath & Company, 19 14.) 
Prokosch, E. Deutscher Lehrgang, erstes fahr. (Henry Holt and 
Company.) Schmidt, Lydia M., and Glokke, Else. Das erste 
fahr Deutsch. (D. C. Heath & Company, 19 17.) 

6. Angus, F. R. Fundamentals of French. (Henry Holt and Com- 
pany, 19 1 6.) Chapuzet, M. L., and Daniels, W. M. Mes premiers 
pas en frangais. (D. C. Heath & Company.) GouRio, E. La 
Classe en fran^ais, premier livre. (Librairie Ferran Jeune, Mar- 
seille, 19 13.) Meras, A. A., and B. Le Premier livre. (American 
Book Company3 19 15.) 



CHAPTER J 

PERIODICAL READING ON TEACHING SPECIAL 
' SUBJECTS 

Purpose. Provides for individual differences in interests, 
— In view of the fact that Chapters VI-XI deal with special 
types of learning which appear in varying degrees in the teach- 
ing of special subjects, it is well to parallel the reading of 
this part of the text with outside assignments which will 
provide for the individual differences in interests of members 
of the class. One of the best ways to do this is to assign 
a prescribed amount of reading of articles in recent peri- 
odicals dealing with the teaching of special subjects. 

Read discussion of periodical readijig. — The discussion 
of the value of periodical reading given on page xxi of the 
textbook (page xxiii in the first edition) should be read by 
the students. In addition to the periodicals mentioned there 
the following publications will be found helpful: 

Classical Journal. (The University of Chicago Press) 
Classical Weekly. (C. Knapp, Barnard College, New York City) 
General Science Quarterly. (W. G. Whitman, Salem, Mass.) 
Journal of Home Economics. (121 1 Cathedral St., Baltimore, 

Md.) 

Modern Language Journal (see above, p. E69, for description). 
Proceedings of the National Education Association, especially 

the articles in the special departments. 

Assignment. — i. Choose some subject or topic such as 
English, a foreign language, mathematics, composition, oral 
composition, literature, current literature, civics, debating, 
home economics, botany, drawing, etc. 

E71 



E72 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

2. Find in periodicals or reports of associations published 
during the past five years (that is, since 19 — ) ten articles 
of five or more pages each, dealing with the teaching of the 
special subject or topic chosen. If an article is very long, 
for example, fifteen pages, you may count it as two articles. 

3. Give complete bibliographical data for each article : 
name of author, title, periodical, volume, and inclusive pages 
(for example. Vol. XV, pp. 275-281) and year. 

4. Write a fifty- word description and summary of each 
article. 

5. Hand in on - — — (date). 

6. One-half theme pages furnish convenient writing 
material for this purpose. By having these at hand when 
reading, and by writing legibly, you may save making a 
second copy. Use full theme sheets if you prefer. Use a 
separate sheet or half-sheet for each article. Write on the 
reverse side if the material will not all go on one side. 

7. Remember that the instructor is interested in your 
summaries and profits from reading them. He has not 
time to read regularly all the specialized journals which 
members of the class examine. Hence your summaries 
help him to keep in touch with this material and to locate 
some of the best articles which he may find time to read. 
He will make note of these and return your bibliography. 



CHAPTER K 

WAYSIDE SUGGESTIONS TO THE INSTRUCTOR 

Beware of overemphasis on early chapters. — The in- 
structor should remember that later parts of the book must 
not be neglected as a result of spending too much time 
on the earlier parts. Far along, for example, come Chap- 
ters XVII and XXII on the use of books and on tests and 
examinations, which are important for all teachers. Apply 
carefully to the planning of the course the first large-type 
paragraph on page 69 of the text. 

Vary procedure for interest. — While the ordinary prac- 
tice is to discuss the exercises after the corresponding chap- 
ter has been read, it creates interest to h^gvsx some chapters 
by a discussion of the exercises before the chapter is read. 
This also creates a problem-solving mental attitude which is 
helpful. 

Develop the students through their self -activity. — Re- 
mernber that the development of the ability of the students 
to evaluate and apply principles of teaching comes from their 
own activity in thinking and expression. Incidental lectur- 
ing by the instructor should merely supplement the students' 
efforts. 

Give the slow a chance. — Save the easier exercises for 
the slower students to answer. By this practice they will be 
encouraged and developed through their successful responses. 



=73 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER VIII 

PRACTICE OR DRILL 1 
Automatizing Motor and Mental Associations 

Read twenty-five pages in about fifty minutes. — This 
twenty-five page chapter can be read rapidly, as a person 
would read a magazine article, in from forty to seventy- 
five minutes. This statement is based on the data given 
on page EI 93, below, showing that in ordinary reading high- 
school students read from lOO to 375 words per minute. 
Parker's pages usually contain about 400 words. Hence 
college students, except the slowest readers, should be able 
to read a page in from two to three minutes, and a chapter 
of twenty-five pages in from forty to seventy-five minutes. 

Get the big ideas first; then detailed evidence. — There 
are certain outstanding ideas in this chapter which are easy 
to grasp. Get them on the first reading. There is a lot 
of scientific evidence for these ideas which it is difficult to 
master. Examine this _ carefully on the second reading, as 
it illustrates very well the methods of mathematically precise 
investigations of processes of learning. 

Use the technical terms of the chapter. — The following 
terms are used in the chapter to express the principal ideas 
about practice : 

(i) Correct start. 

(2) Correct practice ; accuracy versus speed. 

(3) Zeal, interest, concentration of attention. 

(4) Satisfaction and dissatisfaction ; encouragement and dis- 
couragement. 

^ Omit this chapter in a short course. 
;e74 



PRACTICE OR DRILL E75 

(5) Avoiding waste of time on accessory or nonessential 
processes. 

(6) Correct-recall method. 

(7) Whole and part methods. 

(8) Distributed repetitions versus consecutive repetitions. 
The use of these terms in discussing the exercises in 

class will facilitate mutual understanding. The first exercise 
gives practice in identifying some of these main ideas in an 
everyday discussion of practice ; namely, practice on the piano. 

General Principles 

1. Piano practice ; parallel of scientific and p7'actical 
precepts. — (a) Study the long quotation from Hofmann on 
pages 164-166 concerning piano practice. Indicate 071 the 
margin of the text for each part of the quotation the cor- 
respo7iding general 7'ule for practice discussed in the preced- 
ing parts of the chapter and sni7iniarized above. Use the 
terms or numbers given above. 

(&) State in general whether Hofmann agrees or disagrees 
with these rules. Disregard Hofmann's headlines. Dig into 
his paragraphs. 

2. Pia7w practice ; practical disagreei7tents. — (a) Com- 
pare the recommendations given below by a musical college 
with those of Hofmann. Which would you consider more 
valid, these or Hofmann's .? Why .? 

(&) How would trained scientific experimenters proceed 
to determine the truth in this controversy } (Review exer- 
cise 10 on page E12, above.) 

MUSICAL COLLEGE RULES 

'* In regard to piano practice, divide the piece into sections, and 
practice and learn the piece by parts. In this way, you are not so 
apt to become confused or to forget your piece, when playing 
in public. Be able to play each little section or part, absolutely 
independent of each other part," 



E76 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

3. Correct start verszis drill. — Show how the initial 
careful study of a poem or a piano selection, or some other 
unit, might involve quite a different procedure from that 
involved in later memorizing of it by correct recall, by 
wholes, or by distributed repetitions. 

4. Self -correction verstts oiUside correction. — When a 
pupil makes an error in pronouncing a foreign word or 
singing a tone, should he be told merely to ''try again," 
or should the teacher give him specific help for his next 
attempt? Why? 

5. Teacher correction versus class con'ection. — What are 
the advantages of the following device ? 

In a certain direct-method French class, when a pupil has made 
a grammatical error in giving a word or sentence, the teacher, as 
a rule, gives in French the command, '^ Class, correct." There- 
upon the class in concert gives the correct form. 

6. Encouragement vers2is discouragemerit. — id) The 
teacher of French mentioned in exercise 5 is quite lavish 
in bestowing the remark ''tres bien " (very good) upon 
pupils who have just finished reciting. Would you consider 
this a mannerism or a helpful device ? 

(&) Which should predominate during practice or drill 
periods, encouraging or discouraging remarks ? Why ? 

7. PlateaiLS. — Is there any reliable practical method by 
which a teacher can determine whether his pupils have 
reached one of the ''plateaus," or " critical stages," described 
on pages 1 49-1 51 of the text? Explain. 

8. Paitses whefi inemo7izi7tg. — What explanation in terms 
of this chapter can you offer for the following facts ? 

In experiments involving the memorizing of long paragj'aphs^ it 
was found that the first and last sentences were learned more 
readily than the other parts. Thereupon, a pause was inserted at 
the end of the sentence in the middle of each paragraph, and it 
was found that this increased the readiness with which material on 
either side of the inserted pauses was learned. 



PRACTICE OR DRILL e;/ 

9. Length of profitable practice periods ; a difficult tech- 
nical exercise. — (a) How many different associations does 
a person practice in the substitution test described at the 
bottom of page i6i ? (Imagine a new symbol for each 
letter ; for example, let D stand f or (^ ; A stand for b, and 
X stand for c, with other new symbols for the remaining 
letters. In translating the word ''cab" into the new alpha- 
bet a person would write xDA, thus using for this word 
three associations.) 

(&) How many associations does a person practice who is 
practicing a complex piece on the piano 1 

(c) In which instance would profitable practice periods be 
longer, in case of the sicbstitiUion practice or the piano 
practice 1 Explain in terms of this chapter. 

10. Useful paragraph for sttident. — For your own prac- 
tice or drill purposes as a student, what is the most practical 
and useful paragraph in this chapter .? Why ? 

Special Practical Applications 

11. Elementary-school drill versus high-school drill. — 
Compare the fifth-grade procedure described below with the 
old-fashioned oral drill in which a teacher said, '' Multiply 
I by i," hesitated a moment, and then called some pupil 
by name. 

(a) Which method is more economical } How much } 

(b) Which secures more zeal and concentration of atten- 
tion .? Why.? 

(c) Do you think similar economy, zeal, and attention 
could be secured in high-school drills ? Why .? 

Fifth-grade card drill. — A fifth-grade teacher had a pack of 
drill cards with fractions on them like this: [J] \%\. She stood be- 
fore the class and said, '' Multiply by one half," and wrote " \ " on 
the board. She appointed one boy to time the drill; then said, 
" Ready, go ! " and flashed the first card. The first child gave the 
product ; the second card was flashed, the next child in order gave 



E/S EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

the product. Rapidly the cards were flashed, the children answer- 
ing in regular turn around the room. In case one child gave a 
wrong answer, the next child answered for the same card. Every 
child had 3 turns. The total number of problems finished was 
about 50 to 60. The process took 2^ minutes. The teacher wrote 
the record on the board, '' 2 min. 30 sec," under the record of 
the preceding day and opposite the record '' 2 min. 25 sec." for 
another class with the same pack of cards. 

12. Try some drill cards. — Would you take the trouble 
to develop fully such a drill scheme as that described 
below when actually engaged in teaching.? Why.? 

Make 10 drill cards on slips of fairly stiff paper, about one-half 
theme-sheet size, using such material as the following: 10 French 
sounds, 10 German sounds, 10 German prepositions governing 
different cases, i o Latin words, i o algebra problems in removing 
parentheses, such as |6(3x-f- 8)"| 15(4^ — 2)1 , or i o algebra problems 
in special products, as | (2.-r — 3)'-^"] \[a — \) {a ■\- b)\ ^ etc. 

Print or write large enough for the cards to be read by a 
person five feet away. 

Try flashing them on a friend or an imaginary class. 

13. Pronunciation drills. — (a) What are the advantages 
of having the vowel triangle used in phonetic training 
painted on the blackboard as shown in the picture on 
page E79 .? 

(&) At what part of the language period should pronunci- 
ation drills come.? How many minutes should they consume.? 

(c) Compare the advantages of concert responses and 
individual responses, as the teacher points at the symbols 
on the blackboard. 

id) What are the advantages of the following device .? 

A teacher of French has just taught a new sentence by the 
direct method. He has the class repeat the sentence in concert, 
slowly and carefully. He raps on the table for each syllable. The 
sentence is repeated several times, the speed of the well-defined 
rhythmic raps being increased until the sentence is spoken as 
rapidly as the class speaks English. 



PRACTICE OR DRILL 



E79 



14. Foreign-vocabulary practice. — (a) In studying a 
foreign language by the translation method, the meaning 
of a new word may be ascertained to-day, but the same 
word not be met again for days or weeks. What bearing 
does the second half of the long paragraph at the top 



gdj>^':.?^s^,^ 



^'5^'^*^,-'i^*>.^5'>T^^^-'v;v,«' J%^ > 






PHONETIC TRIANGLE PAINTED ON THE BLACKBOARD FOR USE IN 
FRENCH CLASSES 

The four dark symbols beginning with Y and proceeding diagonally down to 

the center are painted yellow. The other dark ones are painted red. Courtesy 

of A. G. Bovee of The University of Chicago High School 

of page 163 have on this practice? What remedy would 
you suggest ? 

(&) In beginning to read a foreign language, what are 
the advantages of having pupils read considerable easy 
material at the beginning ? 

(c) It is sometimes argued that the practice of having a 
student look up new foreign words in a dictionary is justi- 
fied by the fact that the ejfort which he has to make to get 



e8o exercises for METHODS OF TEACHING 

the meaning will make him remember it better. Evaluate 
•this argument in terms of the discussion in this chapter. 

15. Algebra drills. Correct start described later. — In 
the teaching of motor skill and foreign vocabularies the 
"correct start" which should precede drill was described 
in Chapters VI and VII. In teaching algebra the "cor- 
rect start " consists in giving a clear understanding of new 
abstract ideas. The nature of the "correct start" in this 
case will be described later in the second part of Chapter IX. 
It seems desirable, however, to emphasize the drill aspect 
of algebra at this point, but the student should keep in 
mind that drill on any algebraical process should always 
be preceded by a clear understanding of the process by 
the students. 

(a) What paragraphs in Chapter III of Parker's text are 
illustrated by the following statement 1 

" In order that the pupil may use successfully algebraic 
methods in the solution of verbally stated problems, he must 
have absolute mastery of the tool operations he is going to use 
in that solution. A pupil should remove parentheses, factor, solve 
simple equations, use special products, exponents, radicals, etc., 
just as he uses the multiplication table, writes, spells, or gets 
meaning from written language — in a word, automatically. It is 
not economic or expedient to force pupils to raise to 'thinking' 
or ' reasoning ' levels the formal manipulation of these purely 
tool operations. The Committee on Standards is, therefore, insist- 
ing on thoroughness in the formal operations, in the interest of 
' economy of time ' in first-year algebra ; in other words, in order 
that a larger amount of time may be spent in the use of the 
formal operations in solving "" origijiaV problems.'^ (Quoted from 
No. I on page e8i.) 

(&) If you were teaching algebra how would you proceed 
to determine /r^<;/j-^/^ whether your pupils had "automa- 
tized " sufficiently the processes mentioned in the above 
quotation .? (See articles by Rugg listed below.) 



PRACTICE OR DRILL e8i 

16. Summary. — Of the eight ideas outlined at the begin- 
ning of these exercises, which three are so important that 
they should prevail in all drills ? State them as rules 
(complete sentences) instead of mere topics. 

Additional Bibliography 

1. RuGG, H. O., and Clark, J. R. Standardized Tests and 
the Improvement of Teaching in First- Year Algebra. School 
Review^ February and March, 1917, Vol. XXV, pp. 113-132, 
196-213. Final report of long investigation to determine standards 
of efficiency in algebraical processes. 

2. RuGG, H. O. Practice Exercises in Algeh'a. (Address 
H. O. Rugg, School of Education, The University of Chicago.) 
Differentiated drill exercises to attain standard achievement in 
several algebraical processes. See also School Review, October, 
19 1 7, Vol. XXV, pp. 546-554. 

3. Roberts, Peter. Conversation Cards for Teaching English 
to Coming Ainericafis. A part of the direct system described 
above in No. i, p. E69. 

4. Young, W. H. Perception Cards to Accompany Pearson^s 
Essentials of Latin. (American Book Company.) This set of drill 
cards contains 500 vocabulary cards. A Latin teacher may sup- 
plement these by making additional cards for other phases of 
the work. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER IX 

REFLECTIVE THINKING 
SECTION I. PROBLEM-SOLVING 

Arrange an observation. — The instructor should arrange 
to have an observation of a problem-solving lesson to take 
place after the discussion of pages 169-200 or 169-205. 
Care should be exercised to secure a good lesson, one which 
involves intensive work by a class iip07t a rather large 
pj'oblem. The best examples are usually found in the social 
sciences ; for example, a seventh-grade history class working 
on the problem, '' Compare the probable conditions of settle- 
ment in the Northwest Territory with those in Kentucky " 
(the latter conditions being known to the pupils, the former 
unknown) ; or, a little later, '' What steps would probably be 
taken to develop transportation between the Atlantic coast 
and the Northwest Territory after the settlement of the 
latter ? " to be discussed before the textbook account is read. 
Other examples, in classes in modern history or in civics, 
would be, '' What are the possibilities and weaknesses of 
socialism.?" or ''Which is more democratic, the government 
of England or that of the United States.? " (See an elaborate 
example on page E93, below.) 

Dijferentiated reports on observation. — Groups of mem- 
bers of the education class might be assigned different 
aspects of the observed recitation to report on, as follows : 

Group I. Report on aspects I and II, pages 185-193, 
as illustrated in the lesson. 

Group II. Report on aspects III and IV, pages 193-199. 

Group III. Report on aspects discussed in pages 200-205 • 

E82 



PROBLEM-SOLVING E83 

Groicp IV. Report the main and subordinate problems 
taken up in the lesson, arranged and numbered (I, i, 2, 3 ; 
II, I, 2, 3, etc.) and expressed as far as possible in the words 
which the observed teacher used in formulating his questions. 

Each report from Groups I, II, and III should contain 
specific evidence giving examples from the observed lesson 
to justify the points made in the report. 

Preparation for first recitations. Stndy pages i6g-i8^ 
first. — A general idea of the topic ''problem-solving" may 
be secured from a study of the first fifteen pages of this 
chapter. These should be read rapidly and then studied 
carefully before reading the rest of the chapter. 

Scope of exercises I— 12. — The first twelve exercises are 
based on the pages noted above and are intended to illus- 
trate the following points : 

(i) Problem-solving in various school subjects 

(2) Problem-solving in life 

(3) Problem-solving in the work of a great scientist 

(4) General nature of problem-solving 

Problem-Solving in School Subjects 

1. In educatio7t. — How does this exercise book illustrate 
the discussion on page 171 .? Compare the title-page above. 

2. Conclusiveness of answers. — In answering these exer- 
cises it is often diffictdt to determine the correct answer. 
Even educational experts vuoidd disagree. The same is true 
in solving problems in other social sciences, such as civics 
and sociology. 

(a) How do the problems and answers in such cases differ 
from the problems and answers in algebra, physics, or Latin } 

(b) Which type of problem and answer (noted in (a)) 
prevails most in everyday life } 

(c) What are the advantages of each type of problem- 
solving (noted in (a)) from the standpoint of te aching ^.r 



e84 exercises for METHODS OF TEACHING 

3. SoiLVce problems in history. — Below are given a num- 
ber of questions upon certain historical sources. 

(a) Mark with /those of the source questions which seem 
to involve merely getting of information from the sources, 
and with R those which seem to involve a higher degree of 
reflective thinking. 

(&) In terms of the distinction in (a), in zvhat order do 
the source questions seem to be arranged .? What are the 
advantages of this order? 

(c) In what situations in everyday life would a person be 
likely to have to do the same type of problem-solving as is 
required in these source problems .? 

SOURCE MATERIAL FOR EXERCISE 3 

The following set of questions from Duncalf and Krey, '' Paral- 
lel Source Problems in Mediaeval History," is given to guide 
students in the study of six original sources bearing upon the 
coronation of Charles the Great by the pope at Rome. 

" Questions for Study 

" (i) What reasons did Charles have for going to Italy ? 

'' (2) How did Charles adjust the troubles at Rome .'' 

'' (3) Did Charles actually try the pope in the council that he 
assembled ? 

" (4) What reasons can you find for the oath of purification 
taken by the pope ? 

" (5) How did Charles deal with the enemies of Pope Leo ? 

" (6) Do the actions of Charles indicate that he had greater 
authority in the city of Rome than the pope ? 

'^ (7) What reasons can you find for Charles's sending such 
important missi to accompany Pope Leo back to Rome ? 

'^ (8) What was the pope's attitude toward Charles, and how 
did it affect the coronation ? 

" (9) Work out the details of the coronation ceremony. 

" (10) By what right was Charles made emperor? 

"(11) What evidence can you find which would indicate that 
Charles owed his title to the papacy? 



PROBLEiM-SOLVING E85 

^'(12) From this evidence in the accounts, what do you think 
was Charles's attitude toward the Christian religion and the 
papacy ? 

. "(13) How can you explain Einhard's statement that Charles 
was not eager to be crowned emperor ? 

"(14) What difference in point of view and what wrong in- 
formation do you find in the account of the Mo?ik of St. Gall ? 

''(15) Criticize the account from the Vita Leonis III by 
comparison with the other accounts. 

'' Other topics might consist of criticisms of the accounts given 
in standard secondary works by a comparison with the sources. 
The use of Bryce's " Holy Roman Empire " in this way would be 
an extremely profitable exercise." 

4. Problems before or after reading. — (a) Should such 
questions as those given on pages 172-173 for a course 
in economics be taken up for class discussion before or 
after an ordinary textbook discussion of the same topics is 
read by the class 1 Why } 

(b) What would be some advantages of taking them up 
before } 

(c) W^ould the fact that the pupils could 7iot discover 
the connect answers invalidate the idea of discussing the 
questions before reading? 

id) How long v^ould you, as a teacher, have the class 
discuss the questions if they were taken up before the 
textbook treatment .? 

Problem-Solving in Life 

5. biformatioii, reflective skill , ajid desires. — Choose 
some one of the practical problems on pages 177-178 ; for 
example, the first in paragraph i or the first in paragraph 2. 
Show how your answer would be influenced by ( i ) your tech- 
nical information (or lack of it), (2) your skill in thinking, 
and (3) your habitual and instinctive desires and interests. 



e86 exercises FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

6. Practical dilemma. — Describe the reflective thinking 
which you are doing (or have done) in some practical 
dilemma, such as how to spend a vacation, or how to secure 
a position ; that is, give a word picture of yoitr mental proc- 
esses. Write out your answer (not more than two theme 
pages) and hand it in. Keep your example in mind in 
later discussions of problem-solving. Hamlet's famous 
soliloquy is an example from literature. 

Scientific Problem-Solving 

7. Kepler s thinking. — (a) Underline and mark with a G 
the most striking general statements in the quotation about 
Kepler on pages 180-182. Why striking.? 

(&) Underline and mark with P the qualities of Kepler 
which were peculiar to him. 

(c) When you have the experience described in the stanza 
on page 181, what feeling accompanies it; for example, 
what exclamation do you tend to make .? 

General Characteristics of Problem-Solving 

8. Trial and error versus reaso7iing. — (a) What simi- 
larity is there between the "' trial and error " method 
of acquiring motor skill described on pages 102-106 and 
the statement that ''all who discover truths must have 
reasoned upon many errors to obtain each truth," given on 
page 1 80 .? 

(6) What difference ? 

9. Origin of reflective thinking. — (a) In the phrase 
'' some difficulty that troubles him," at the bottom of 
page 183, does Dewey mean real practical difficulty and 
trouble .? 

ip) What words might be substituted for '' difficulty " and 
" troubles " .? 

(c) Relate your answer to exercise 24 in Chapter IV^ 
page E48. 



PROBLEM-SOLVING E87 

10. Pedagogical text. — ia) As a text for a pedagogical 
discussion of reflective thinking, choose from the Dewey 
quotation on pages 183-184 the sentence that is most terse 
and at the same time full of meaning. ( U^iderline and label 
"" text:') 

(b) Evaluate the rhetorical placing of this sentence. 

11. Training to think. — What does the expression 
''training pupils to think" mean.? Answer in terms of 
pages 183-185. 

12. Correct start. — From the standpoint of forming 
correct mental habits in problem-solving, what would the 
''correct start" consist of in teaching geometry? 

Special Aspects of Problem-Solving 

Study pages 185-200. — Pages 185-200 should be read 
rapidly as a unit and then studied carefully to understand 
the four main aspects of problem-solving outlined at the top 
of page 185. 

/. Defining the Problem 

13. Mechanical aids. — (a) Show how italicizing certain 
words in exercise 7, above, helps the reader to get the 
problems in mind. 

(&) Underline words in exercise 8 so as to make the 
problem easier to grasp. 

14. Pnpil off the point. — (a) In the following history- 
teaching situation what would yon have said to the wander- 
ing pupil } Why ? 

(6) What part of the text discussion does your answer 
illustrate .? 

A seventh-grade history class was discussing the problem of 
developing transportation between the Atlantic coast states and the 
Northwest Territory. Early in the hour a pupil suggested that 
ships would carry produce down the Ohio and Mississippi to 



e88 exercises FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

New Orleans, through the Gulf and tip the Atlajitic coast. After 
some discussion most of the class decided that this was imprac- 
ticable. Toward the end of the period the pupils were working- 
on the suggestion of building a canal from the Great Lakes east- 
ward, and were searching on their maps for possible routes. In 
the midst of the discussion a child began to argue anew the 
question of shipping by way of New Orleans. 

//. Fertility of Suggestion 

15. Meaning of a phrase. — What is the force of the 
phrase '' other things being equal," which occurs in the 
twelfth line from the bottom of page 187 ; that is, what are 
the ** other things" which must be equal? 

16. Extreme types. — In the matter of making sugges- 
tions we find two extreme types of students : one is glib 
and always wants to talk, and the other is overinhibited 
and afraid to utter his suggestions. How would you deal 
with each type in problem-solving discussions ? 

17. Solving originals in geometry. — In the following 
account of a pupil's thinking in solving a geometry exercise, 
label each step as follows : with A if it is primarily analysis ; 
with G if it is primarily forming a gitess or hypothesis ; 
and with R if it is primarily the recall or use of a previously 
proved proposition or an axiom. 

The figure and two statements beside it are given below : 

E 4;^^^:::5-- ^ To prove Z i + Z 2 + ^ 3 

/ ^"""^"--^^^ = 2 rt. Z s. 

j^ X 3^ ^ EBD is parallel to AC. 

The pupil proceeds as follows : 

(i) Looks at Z 2 primarily, swinging his attention, as it were, 
around it. 

(2) Does the same with Z i. 

(3) Does the same with Z 3. 

(4) Thinks '' Maybe Z 2 = Z 4 -f Z 5." 

(5) Thinks " Maybe Z 2 = Z i + Z 4." 



PROBLEM-SOLVING E89 

(6) Thinks ^^Z4 + Z2 + Z5 = 2rt. Z s." 

(7) Thinks " Looks like Z i = Z 4, and Z 3 = Z5 ; I wonder 
if they are." 

(8) Continues to look at and think of possible combinations, 
Z I = Z 4 and Z.^ = ^ 5> ^^d gradually gets this sort of picture 

hazily: it^^^^cil 

(9) Thinks " If I could prove that (Z i = Z 4 and Z 3 = Z 5) 
I'd have it, because Z4 + Z2H-Z5 = 2rt. Z s." 

(10) Centers attention on Z i and Z 4 in the figure. 

(11) Thinks '^ That looks like a Z." 

(12) Takes a pencil and prolongs AB thus: y 

(13) Thinks " Jimminy, Z i and Z 4 are alter- ^^'X 
nate interior Z s, and ^^ is a transversal." / 

(14) Writes out his proof, beginning with the idea in number 13. 

18. Geometers sagacity. — Near the bottom of page 191 
is a sentence beginning, "' To think, without assistance, of." 
Explain why the fact expressed in this sentence is probably 
true. Secure help from the last sentence in the quotation 
at the top of page 190. 

19. Excusing frotn geometry. — (a) If a student could n't 
prove the geometry exercise described on page 192, after 
having all of the suggestions on 192-193, should he study 
geometry } Why } 

(b) Are there any such pupils in high schools ? Explain. 

///. Critical Evaluation of Suggestions 

20. Wit versiLS science. — (a) Contrast the scintillating 
wit and the scientist from the standpoint of the critical 
evaluation of suggestions. 

(&) Is the contrast necessarily the same as the one ex- 
pressed in the next to last sentence on page 193 .? Explain. 

21. In sickness. — Sometimes in the case of sickness, 
even good thinkers behave as described in the second part 
of the second sentence at the top of page 186, What part 



EQO EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

of the quotation from Dewey at the bottom of page 184 
explains this fact? {Underline and label it Ex. 21) 

22. Newspapei^ ncmors. — Give an example from current 
newspapers of the necessity of suspended conclusion and 
the critical evaluation of evidence. 

23. Quibbling, — Students in class often impede problem- 
solving by the persistent reiteration of apparent objections 
which are mere verbal quibbles. In one such case a teacher 
disposed of the student's interference by saying, '' Let 's not 
be foolish." What remark would you make in such cases ? 

24. Sources of verification. — (a) Which of the following 
sources of verification are most commonly nsed in problem- 
solving in school work ? Explain. 

(&) Which should be emphasised in high-school subjects t 

(1) Parents' opinion (6) Comparison of several 

(2) Encyclopaedia or dictionary special treatises 

(3) A single special treatise (7) Students' own inferences 

published by an expert and evidence 

(4) Teacher's opinion (8) A single textbook 

(5) Newspaper statements (9) An answer book 

25. Gallon s rank. — (a) Do you think Galton would rank 
high as a scientist, judging merely from his idea of using 
data from twins as a basis for testing hypotheses about 
heredity and environment as described on page 197 } 

(b) Have you ever heard of a method as simple or con- 
clusive as Galton's for scientific testing of these hypotheses t 

(c) Was Newton's idea of using the moon's behavior for 
verifying universal gravitation, as described on pages 196- 
197, more or less brilliant than Galton's idea.? Why.? 

IV. Organizing the Material of Thinking 

26. In debating. — Show the part played in debating by 
the process described in the paragraph at the bottom of 
page 198. 



PROBLEM-SOLVING 



E91 



27. Graphic organizatio7i. — (a) Show how the following 
graphic representation of temperature data would aid pupils 
in solving the problem, '' What is the influence of Lake 
Michigan on the climate of the surrounding territory ? " 





2 


3 


V 


) 


3 


r 


3 


3 10 11 13 13 14 15 16 


80 

10 
































\ 
























\ 








^^> 


V 








/ 
/ 
1 




\ 


\ 




/ 
n 


\ 

\ 
\ 
\ 
\ 


GRA3 
HAV 


ID 




\ 









\ 


^ 






/ 




\^ 


\ 




1 1 


\ 










\ 




\ 
\ 






/ 
/ 

/ / 
/ / 


\^ 






\. 


/ 


1 
1 

1 


\ 


St.L 
Mad 


)xns 


-10 
■30 






\ 


\ 




\ 

s 


/ / 
/ / 


\ 






\ 


/ 


1 








\ 














\ 


/ 






























\ 


/ 

















TEMPERATURES DURING A COLD WAVE 

The diagram represents the variation in temperatures between three cities on the 

dates January 2 to January 15, 1912, Grand Haven is on the eastern shore 

of Lake Michigan, in the latitude of Madison, Wis., but its temperature is like 

that of St. Louis 

ip) Compare the curves on page 145 and those on page 373. 
Which set better illustrates the discussion on page 199 ? Why ? 



Opportunities for Training in Reflective Thinking 

28. Quality versus qtiantity in geometry. — If the sen- 
tence beginning in the second line on page 201 were applied 
in an extremely radical fashion to the study of geometry, 
how many of the five books in plane geometry would the 



E92 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

ordinary student complete in one year's work ? (Compare 
the quotation beginning at the bottom of page 203.) 

29. Does silent participation give exercise f — {a) Explain 
more fully than is done at the top of page 202 how slow 
students may be "in the running" and profit accordingly. 

(&) If they didn't forge ahead, wouldn't they become 
discouraged and simply look on ? 

30. Through imitation. — Considering the teacher as a 
model in problem-solving, which of the phases summarized 
on pages 199-200 could be most readily imitated by 
students 1 Explain. 

31. Sample lessons i^i social science. — After reading the 
following plans for conducting a high-school class while 
solving a large problem, write one or two theme pages to 
hand in, on the following topics or questions : 

(a) Show specifically how the lessons give training in 
scie7itific thinking in the sense in which this term is used 
on page E12, above, and on page 504 of the text. 

(&) Show specifically how the lessons clear up in your 
mind some of the points in Parker's suggestions for guiding 
problem-solving by pupils. 

(c) Does the sequential appearance of the four main proc- 
esses (I, II, III, IV) in the arrangement of the plan indicate 
that each of the processes is faiished completely before 
another begins, or dpes it indicate that one after another 
predominates at certain stages of the work ? Explain. 

{d) Answer (c) for the thinking done by a single pupil 
while puzzling over the problem. 

(e) How many years of experience in teaching would you 
need before you could organize independently such lessons } 

(/) What values inhere in such lessons that are not found 
in the use of ready-made exercises such as Parker's ? 

(^) How many years of experience would you need before 
you could teach successfully with ready-made exercises ? 

(fi) Summarize your conclusion from (e), (/), and (p^). 



PROBLEM- SOLVING 

SOLVING A PROBLEM IN SOCIAL SCIENCE 

Lessons conducted and described 

By J. M. McCoNNEL 

North East High School, Detroit, Michigan 

Class : 20 high-school seniors 

First day : i o minutes, defining the problem. 
Second day : 20 minutes, suggested hypotheses. 
Third day : 40 minutes 



E93 



-c ^u J • ^ ! evaluating and organizing material. 

Fourth day : 40 mmutes J o & o 

The four principal phases of the teaching are 
L Clearly defining the problem 
IL Stimulating suggestions by the pupils 
IIL Evaluating suggestions 
IV. Organizing the materials of the thinking 

I. Clearly defining the problem 

(a) In the teacher^ s own mind : 

The teacher must have more than a general notion of what he 
wishes the class to study. He should in his own thinking have 
worked out carefully the object and purposes of the study, and 
have a concise statement of each. 

'(/') In the piipiVs mind (about ten minutes the first day) : 

(i) Give the pupils a concise statement of the problem ; they 
must adopt the same wording. 

(2) Work out carefully the implications of the wo?'di7ig. 

(3) Develop the importance of such a study. 

P?vblem : To find the relation, if any, between little or 7to edu- 
cation and delifiqueiicy. Its implications may be noted as follows : 

{a) " If any " — not an attempt to prove that there is a rela- 
tion, but an open-minded attempt to get at the truth ; prejudice 
and preconceived opinions of the relation must be discarded. 

(J?) " Little or no education " — a better term than illiteracy ; a 
person having only fourth-grade education is not unlettered. 

(<f) " Delinquency " — coming into contact with the law in a 
penal or correctional way. 

{d) A brief discussion showing the importance of the problem. 



E94 EXERCISES FOR METHODS 'OF TEACHING 

II. Stimulating suggestions by the pupils 

Encourage pupils 

(a) to analyze the situation ; 

ip) X.0 formulate definite hypotheses and to recall general rules or 
principles that may apply. 
Assignment for the second day : 

(a) To make a list of the relations that seem probable and the 
general rules or principles applying. 

(p) To outline the various ways of getting data on the problem. 

Recitation 07i the second day {about twenty minutes). 

The work on the second day consists of summarizing the state- 
ments of hypotheses and methods brought in by the students. 
This provides a fair analysis and gives some defijiite hypotheses 
for further work upon it in the third step, critical evaluation. 

(a) Hypotheses suggested by pupils or teacher (general rules and 
principles) : 

(i) Uneducated — ignorant of laws, violate them unknowingly. 

(2) Uneducated — low, class of work, small pay, more liable to 
commit offenses against property. 

(3) Uneducated — don't know how harmlessly to enjoy leisure. 

(4) Uneducated — first to be unemployed ; idleness ; in trouble. 

(5) Can be used as tools by intelligent crooks. 

(6) Ignorant poor must pay penalty, guilty rich escape. 

(7) Many men of preeminence had no school training. 
ip) Methods of procedure, suggested by pupils or teacher : 
(i) Ask someone. 

(2) " Look it up " in the library. 

(3) Recall cases you have known. 

(4) Trace pupils from one particular school — those quitting 
early and those finishing the course. 

(5) Study juvenile-court reports ; police commissioner's reports. 

(6) Get data from penal and correctional institutions as to 
educational record of inmates. 

III. Evaluating suggestions 

ia) Open-mindedly criticize each suggestion. 
(Jy) Systematically select and reject. 
{c) Verify conclusions. 



REFLECTIVE THINKING E95 

Assignment for the third day : 

(a) Each pupil critically to evaluate two or three of the above 
suggestions. 

(J?) Two pupils exempt from (a) to study some sample reports 
of institutions and thus evaluate the method (6) (b) above. 

Recitation on the third day ; forty minutes : 
(a) In evaluati?tg hypotheses show : 
(i) that mere opinion is the basis of most of them ; 

(2) the difficulty of isolating the factor, lack of education, in 
many cases ; 

(3) that a general rule cannot be established by observation 
at random ; 

(4) that most of these suggestions imply that a certain relation 
necessarily exists. We must guard against this. 

(<^) Ifi evaluating suggested methods ofp7vcedure show : 
(i) that the first two methods would get mere opijiions ; 

(2) that the next two would get insufficient data ; 

(3) that the last two are the nearest to scientific methods. 
(c) Reject hypotheses and ?nethods of procedure in which : 
(i) mere opinion predominates ; 

(2)' only fragmentary unsystematic data can be secured ; 
(3) factors cannot be sufficiently isolated for study. 
id) Work on that hypothesis, by that method U7ider which : 
(i) tangible data can be open-mindedly gathered ; 

(2) scientifically arranged, so that some factor may be isolated 
and seen in its relatio7is ; 

(3) verified by further data or the conclusions of other 
investigators. 

IV. Organizing the materials of thinking 

The study of data obtained from reports of penal and correc- 
tional institutions and courts involves careful organization and 
tabulation and often graphing. 

Assignments for the fourth day : 

(a) Special reports to be assigned to individuals. 

(b) Literacy statistics of the state to be looked up by some. 

(c) Diagrams and charts showing findings to be placed on 
the board. 



E96 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Conclusions : 

The work outlined above is to be continued until the following 
conclusions may be definitely established : 

{a) That an overwhelming percentage of delinquents have little 
or no education. 

(j)) That the factor, lack of education, can never be clearly 
isolated ; hence we cannot say that a causal relation exists. 

(c) But we are justified in saying, other things being equal, 
that education very materially lessens one's chances of becoming 
a delinquent. 

Additional Bibliography 

Dodge, R. K, and Kirchway, C. B. Geography in Normal 
Schools and Secondary Schools. {Teachers College Record^ March, 
19 1 4, Vol. XV, pp. 71-137.) Contains very suggestive preliminary 
problem-solving lessons as the introduction to the regional geog- 
raphy of the United States. 



CHAPTER IX (Continued) 

REFLECTIVE THINKING (Continued) 

SECTION II. ACQUIRING ABSTRACT AND GENERAL 
MEANINGS 

Plan of exercises. — After three exercises on technical 
versus popular meanings, the remaining exercises are in- 
tended to illustrate the following summary of the technique 
or rules to be followed in teaching abstract and general 
mxcanings. 

(i) Assure real experiences of carefully selected typical examples. 

(2) Require active analytical study and comparison of these 
examples. 

(3) Aid the students to keep summarizing the meaning or rule, 
eventually reaching a clear, precise statement of it. 

(4) Provide problems or exercises to give practice in recognizing 
and usifig the new idea in new complex situations. 

Be sure to discuss exercises 13 and 14. — They contain 
excellent practical examples. 

Technical versus Popular Meanings 

1. Contrasts. — Choose 07ie of the terms given as exam- 
ples at the top of page 223 (except mass and sensatio?i) 
and show the contrast between its popular meaning and its 
technical meaning in some science. 

2. Forgotten meanings. — In case you once knew but 
have now forgotten the technical meanings of some of the 
abstract terms listed on pages 205-206, what good did you 
derive from studying them } 

E97 



E98 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

3. Feelings of meaning. — In case you have forgotten the 
exact technical meaning noted in exercise 2, but have 
retained a rough '' feehng of the meaning," of what value 
is this meaning to you ? 

Personal Experiences of Examples 

4. Single example. — (a) Is the single example (namely, 
learning about bacteria) which Parker gives sufficient to 
make clear to you the manner in which a new abstract 
meaning is learned in everyday life ? Why ? (Compare the 
quotation on page 216.) 

(&) Test your understanding of the process of learning 
abstractions by giving a description of the manner in which 
an ordinary individual (for example, yourself) acquires in 
everyday life an idea of ''socialism." (See below, p. E219, 
exercise 11, for a lesson on socialism.) 

5. Lack of personal experience. — If a person does not 
have (or is not provided with) the personal experiences 
necessary for 7mderstanding a new abstraction as described 
by Dewey (in the quotation beginning at the bottom of 
page 217), what does he get out of the instruction } (Don't 
answer this question too hastily.) 

6. Characteristics of good examples. — Thorndike says 
that in a good example for teaching a new abstraction, the 
abstracted element is obtrusive and withont irrelevant detail. 
Evaluate in these terms the following device for introducing 
the study of the equation in algebra. 

" In making a study of the equation we must begin with some 
very simple problems in order that we may clearly understand the 
new laws to be developed. If these laws are mastered in connec- 
tion with simple cases, it will be easy to apply them later to more 
complicated and difficult cases. 

" A bag of grain of unknown weight, w ounces, together with 
an 8-oz. weight just balances an i8-oz. weight. How much does 
the bag of grain weigh ? 



ABSTRACT AND GENERAL MEANINGS 

" The problem may be stated in an ^^^ 

equation, thus : 

w -{- S = 1 8. Find w. 

" Suppose 8 oz. to be taken from 
each pan, giving 

w = lO. 

"The bag of grain weighs lo oz." 
Active Analysis 



E99 




7. IndividiLal diffei^ences. — (a) From the standpoint of 
the paragraph in the middle of page 220 evaluate most 
recitations with which you are familiar. 

(b) What practical change would you suggest ? 



Defining 

8. Necessity of verbal definition. — {a) What is a definitio7i ? 
(&) Does Parker define the term '' definition " anywhere in 

his discussions on pages 220-225 '^' 

(c) Should he have done so to make the points in his 
discussion clear ? Why ? 

(d) What bearing does your answer to (c) have on the 
teaching of definitions ? (Compare the quotation from Dewey 
on page 226.) 

Practice in Using 

9. Types of exercises.' — Which of the following exercises 
gives better practice in using newly acquired ideas of tense, 
those headed '' Label examples " or those headed '' Give 
examples " ? Why ? 

'^ Label examples . — Write under each verb in the sentences below 

what tense it is in (as is done in the first line). 

" It is hotter this summer than it was last summer. It will be 
present past 

cold enough in the winter. The sun will rise later and set earlier. 



Eioo EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Evening came so soon last November that the lights were being 
lit in the house when I reached home from school. We do not 
light them now till after seven. You can see that it is quite light 
now though the bells are ringing seven. 

" Did they send up my trunk from the station ? No. They 
would not promise that it should be sent without a check. If you 
will send them the check, it will be sent. I shall be passing the 
office this evening, anyway. Won't it be open ? It used to be 
open evenings. 

" Give examples. — Write two sentences, each with a verb in the 
present tense. 

" Write two sentences, each with a verb in the past tense. 

" Write two sentences, each with a verb in the future tense." — 
From Thorndike's ^' Principles of Teaching " 

10. Practice in making exercises. — ia) Write out one exer- 
cise to be used in discussing this section of Chapter IX, 
and hand it in. It may raise some question about the 
subject which you would like to hear discussed. Avoid the 
" give-an-example " type of exercise. To be of greatest value 
your exercise should have the following characteristics : 

(i) Apply a specific discussion in the textbook. 

(2) Raise dn issue of practical importance in teaching. 

(3) Set a pj'oblem which requires reflective thinking. 

(4) Appeal to the interests of college juniors and seniors who 
expect to teach. 

(5) Be not too easy, thus avoiding bluffing. 

(6) Be not too difficult, thus avoiding discouragement. 

(7) Contain actual data needed instead of requiring students 
to secure data. 

(6) Indicate which of these characteristics you have most 
difficulty in securing in your exercise. 

11. Abstractions and problem-solving. — To illustrate the 
discussion on pages 226-228, show how some of the abstract 
or general ideas listed on pages 205-206 were useful to you 
in solving problems in school or out. 



ABSTRACT AND GENERAL MEANINGS eioi 

General Applications of the Rules for Teaching 
Abstractions 

12. Parker s theory and practice. — In this section of 
Chapter IX Parker has been trying to teach or explain 
the nature of a particular abstract or general idea ; namely, 
'' how to teach abstract and general meanings." Indicate in 
some detail the extent to which he follows or departs in 
his own writing from the principles which he describes 
in this section. 

13. Analysis of a lesson plan on '' Work'' in general 
science. — (a) In the lesson plan on *'Work" given below 
label each question as follows (some questions may take 
more than one label) : 

Px., if it mvo\\rQS pupils^ providijtg experiences or examples. 

Tx., if it involves the teachef s providing experiences or examples. 

Coni., if it involves comparison. 

Ab., if it involves abstracting. 

Def., if it involves definhig. 

Pr., if it \nYo\vQS pj'actice in using the abstracted idea. 

(&) In case a question is labeled Com., state what is 
compared. 

(c) In case a question is labeled Ah., name the abstracted 
element. 

(d) Are the above labels adequate for questions (4) and 
(16) .? What is the main purpose of these questions ? 

A LESSON ON "WORK" 

Description of the lessoii. — The following lesson was taught 
by a conversational method before the textbook treatment of the 
subject was read. Naturally, the topic is merely introduced in this 
lesson, not completed. The pupils had had the work in general 
science outlined on page 88 of Parker's text through topic XVIII. 
The teacher's general plan was as follows : 

I. To begin with the ordinary popular meaning of the term 
" work " as understood by the pupils. 



EI02 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

II. To make a transition to the restricted technical meaning of 
the term as used in physics. 

HI. To dejifie the latter exactly. 

IV. To giwQ practice in using the new meaning. 

Each of the questions listed below called forth several minutes 
of discussion between pupil and teacher, including in each case 
several subordinate questions by the latter. 

Topic. — Work (as used in physics) 

Class. — First- Year High-School General Science 

Outline of Subject Matter 

I. Running water and work 
II. Kind of work done or seen 
HI. Common characteristic (movement) 
IV. Comparison of hardness 
V. Other characteristic (force) 
VI. Definition of work 
Application 

(a) Leaning against desk 

(b) Pushing against desk 

(c) Horse on hill 
VII. Measurement of work 

(a) Climbing stairs 

(b) Monilaw (a thin boy) versus Fitzgerald 

(a fat boy) 

(c) Units for measurement 

Foot pound 

Outline of Method of Class Procedure in Form 
OF Questions 

You will remember that the last chapter which we took up was 
called '' Work by Running Water." 
(i) How does running water work ? 

(2) Have you done any work this morning ? 

(3) On your road to school did you see any one working ? What 
was he doing? (Ask several students to tabulate different kinds 
of work.) 



ABSTRACT AND GENERAL MEANINGS El 03 

(4) When a person is doing any of the above things we say 
he is working. What then is work? 

(5) What is one characteristic which is common to all of the 
different kinds of work which we have listed ? (Movement) 

(6) Which one of the kinds of work we have listed is the 
hardest ? 

(7) What then is another element besides movement which 
enters into work ? (Force) 

(8) Let 's put the two elements together. (Write on the black- 
board '' Force Movement.") How would you now define work? 

(9) Suppose I lean up against this desk, am I doing any work ? 

(10) Suppose I push against the desk, am I now doing any 
work ? Why ? 

(11) A horse is pulling a load up a hill; when he gets to the 
middle of the hill he is stalled ; all he can do is to keep the load 
from running back down the hill. Is the horse working ? 

(12) Miss , you said you hadn't done any work this 

morning. Would you still say that? 

(13) One kind of work is climbing the stairs. Who did the 
most work in climbing the stairs, Mr. Monilaw (a thin boy) or 
Mr. Fitzgerald (a fat boy) ? Why ? 

(14) How much more work did Fitzgerald do than Monilaw? 

(15) Upon what does the amount of work depend ? 

(16) How shall we measure it ? 

14. Analysis of a stenographic 7'eport of a lesson on par- 
ticiples. — Analyze the lesson reported below and write in 
concise outline form how it illustrates the phases of teaching 
abstractions summarized above, on page E97. Give evidence 
for your points by reference to the numbers or inclusive 
numbers of the teacher's questions and remarks. 

STENOGRAPHIC REPORT OF A LESSON 

Topic of lesson. — Participles. 

Class. — Seventh Grade of the Elementary School of the School 
of Education, The University of Chicago. This would correspond 
to a Junior High-School class in some schools. 

Teacher. — Miss Eleanor Lally. 



EI04 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Time. — Thirty minutes. 

Repo?t. — A stenographer took shorthand notes of everything 
that the teacher and pupils said. The stenographer's report is 
reproduced below, preceded by a copy of the sentences which 
were ready on the blackboard at the beginning of the hour. 

Two Sets of Sentences written on Blackboard for 
Lesson on Participles 

First set 

(i) Hiawatha, killed the red deer. 

(2) The broad stream flows through our meadow. 

(3) He was a lonely, unhappy miser. 

(4) The happy boy sang as he climbed the hill. 

(5) He is writing a letter. 

(6) The boys are trudging up the slope. 

Seco7id set 

(i) The deer, pausing a moment to listen, bounded away to 
safety. 

(2) The stream, winding through the meadow, flows to the sea. 

(3) Lifting the lid of the box, the miser found his money stolen. 

(4) The boys, struggling up the slope, soon reached the top. 

(5) Uncle Tom was in his armchair, rocking slowly. 

(6) The boy sitting by the window is my pupil. 

(7) The tiger, crouching in the tall grass, was snarling defiance. 

(8) Looking more closely, I saw a black snake among the weeds. 

(9) "And children coming home from school 
Look in at the open door." 

(10) ' ' Toiling, — rej oicing, — sorrowing, 

Onward through life he goes." 

(11) We sat about the fire, listening to stories of old times. 

The Lesson 

(i) Teacher. Have pencil and paper on your desk, please. 
I want some good thi^iking, to-day, children. We are goiiig to develop 
a new notion, a new idea, in grammar that you have 7iever had. If 



ABSTRACT AND GENERAL MEANINGS EI05 

you see a new idea here suggested oft the boards — we have touched 
upon it a number of times in our sentence sttidy, — / should be glad 
if you would not mention the name of the new word. There is in 
these sentences a word whose use you are not thoroughly acquainted 
with. That word is to be made the basis of this halfhour^s lesson. 
My aim is to teach you to learn three things about that particular 
word. Watch for them. First of all., we shall review the adjective 
and the verb. Read this sentence and tell me about the adjective in it. 
Pupil. " Hiawatha killed the red deer." '' Red " is an 
adjective which modifies the noun " deer." 

(2) T. What is the adjective in the second sentence., Va7ice 1 

P. " The broad stream flows through our meadow." 
" Broad " is an adjective which modifies the subject " stream." 

(3) T. The third sentence — find the adjective. 

P. '' He was a lonely, unhappy miser." '' Unhappy " is 
an adjective modifying " miser." 

(4) T. Another one 2 Mary? 
P. "Lonely." 

(5) T. An adjective in the next sentence ? 

P. "The happy boy sang as he climbed a hill." " Happy" 
is an adjective modifying " boy." 

(6) T. Let us turfi our attention to the asserting verbs in these 
sentences. What is the verb in the first sentence ? 

P. "Killed." 

(7) T. l^Tiy? 

P. Because it tells what Hiawatha killed. It tells what 
he did. 

(8) T. Asserts something of the subject '^Hiazvatha.^' Now will 
you recite, Harold ? 

P. " Killed " is the verb because it asserts something of 
the subject " Hiawatha." 

(9) T. Who sees an assertijig verb ifi the next sentence ? jack ? 
P. "Flows." 

(10) T. Why? 

P. Because it asserts something of " stream." 

(11) T. Of the subject ^^ stream.'' Who sees an asserting verb 
in the next sentence ? Christijia ? 

P. "Was." 



Eio6 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(12) T. Why? 

P. Because it does n't assert, but it is a verb. 

(13) T, It says something,''^ he was y It asserts. Why? 
1ST P. Because it expresses action. 

2D P. Does it express action ? 

(14) T. No, but it makes an assertion about the subject. Is that 
clear now ? 

P. Yes. 

(15) T. Who sees an asserting verb in the next one? Maud? 
P. " Sang," because it tells the action performed by 

the boy. 

(16) T. Tells the action performed by the hoy. Who sees the 
whole asserting verb of this sentence? Howard 2 

P. " Is writing." 

(17) T. Why? 

P-. Because it asserts what " he," the subject, is doing. 

(18) T. What is the helping verb ? 
P. "Is." 

(19) T. What is the main verb ? 
P. "Writing." 

(20) T. The entire verb is? 
P. " Is writing." 

(21) T. Who sees an asserting verb in the next sentence? 
Katherine ? 

P. " Are trudging," because it asserts something expressed 
by the subject. 

(22) T. The assertion is expressed by '^'' are trudging.'''' It asserts 
an action performed by the boys. Yes, the boys a7x trudging. What 
is the helping verb ? 

P. "Are." 

(23) T. And the main verb ? 
P. "Trudging." 

(24) T. Now you have reviewed two parts of speech, verbs and 
adjectives. What are adjectives ? 

P. Adjectives are words that modify nouns. 

(25) T. Or pronouns. What are verbs ? fohn? 

P. They express motion. " He ran." " Ran " is the verb 
because it expresses motion. 



ABSTRACT AND GENERAL MEANINGS eio/ 

(26) T. Who cait give me a complete definition of a verb ? 
P. A verb is a word that asserts action or being. 

(27) T. We have revieived verbs and adjectives. Later you will 
see the reason for this review. Who sees in the new work here a 
new word whose use we have 7iever really studied in class ? Be very 
careful. It is a new word^ a new expression. We have never given 
any study to it. What do you want to do about this new word? 
Who will state now what the classes aim is 1 

P. We want to find out what is is ; [pupil hesitates and 
repeats] what it is, and know how it is used, and what it is used 
for. We want to give a definition. 

(28) T. And finally to be able to give a definition. That is a 
good word. What are we going to do., class ? To find out what 
this new word is, how it is used, where it comes from, and to make 
a defi7iition. Let us see if we can do that in the moinents remaining. 

Who would like to recite about the new word there ? 
P. Should I say what it is ? 

(29) T. Yes, tell me what it is. What is the 7iew word i7t that 
first sente7ice 1 ' 

P. "Pausing." 

(30) T. How ma7iy thi7ik so ? Who sees the 7iew word i7i the 
next se7ite7ice ? (Reads it.) 

" Winding." 

I7i the 7iext se7ite7ice ? (Reads it.) Katheri7ie ? 

" Lifting." 

Who sees it in the 7iext se7ite7ice I 

" Struggling." 

I7i the 7iext 07ie ? fack ? 

'' Rocking." 

" The boy sitti7ig by the wi7idow is 7ny pupil. '^ What 

" Sitting." 

Let us go back to the first. Read the se7itence aloud. 
Listen and tell me the asserti7ig verb i7i the se7ite7ice. 

P. " The deer, pausing a moment to listen, bounded away 
to safety." " Bounded " is the necessary verb. 

(36) T. Yes, the asserti7ig verb in the sente7ice. Now if you thi7ik 
you k7iow the name of this word, please do7iH say it yet, because you 





P. 


(3.) 


T. 
P. 


(32) 


T. 
P. 


(33) 


T. 
P. 


(34) T. 
is it here 1 




P. 


(35) 


T. 



Eio8 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

are not sure yet. Who understands the use of this word ? Why do 
we use that word ^^ pausing ^^ .? 

P. It helps to modify ; tells what it does. 

(37) T. It helps to modify what? 

1ST P. It helps to modify the noun " deer." 

2D P. And it is somewhat like a verb too. 

(38) T. It resembles a verb. But is it an asserting verb ? 
P. No, it seems as if it were an adjective too. 

(39) T. It seems as if it were an adjective^ and it seems as if it 
were a verb. What verb does this co7ne from ? 

P. "Pause." 

(40) T. It is derived from the verb ^'' pause " and is used to modify 
''^deerJ^ Gather that up and tell me what you know about ''^ pausiiig'^ 

P. '' Pausing " is a word derived from the verb " pause," 
and it is used as an adjective to modify the noun " deer." 

(41) T. Mary has found two thijtgs about that. What, class? 
Where it comes from and how it is used. Who will take this 07ie ? 
Christina ? Tell me two things about this one. 

P. " Winding." Modifies " stream," used as an adjective, 
and derived from the word " wind." 

(42) T. Who will tell me about this one ? (Reads, " Lifting the," 
etc.) lack? 

P. " Lifting " is used as an adjective modifying " box," 
and it is also derived from the verb " lifting." 

(43) T. It is derived from the verb ''''lift,^^ but the box did the 
lifti7ig, did it ? Does " lifting " modify '' box " ? 

P. Modifies " lid." 

(44) T. Oh, it is the lid that lifted something, is it? 
P. The miser. Oh, I see. 

(45) T. Now, stand and recite about ^^liftingJ^ 

P. " Lifting " is used as an adjective modifying " miser," 
and it is also derived from the verb '^ lift." 

(46) T. Who is 7'eady to tell me about this one ? Harold ? 

P. " Struggling " is derived from the word " struggle," 
and it is an adjective modifying the noun " boys." 

(47) T. This one? (Reads, " Uncle Tom," etc.) Edward? 

P. " Rocking " is used as an adjective modifying " Uncle 
Tom," and it is derived from the verb " rock." 



ABSTRACT AND GENERAL MEANINGS EI09 

(48) T. This one 2 Vafice? (Reads, " The boy," etc.) 

P= " Sitting " is an adjective modifying '' boy " and is 
derived from the verb " sit." 

(49) T. // is one form of the verb ^^ sit'^ and is used as an 
adjective modifying ^^boy.''^ 

P. Yes. 

(50) T. Noiv we have learned two things about each one of these 
words. Who will state what is true of each one of these words ? 

P. They end in '^ i-n-g." 

(51) T. Yes, they all end in ' ' i-n-g. ' ' Tell me the important thing. 
P. They modify nouns. 

(52) T. And they come from — .? 
P. They come from verbs. 

(53) T. Who will state the two things without my helping at 
all? Mary? 

P. How shall I begin ? 

(54) T. The words we are studying — 

P. The words we are studying are used as adjectives 
and are derived from verbs. 

(55) T. Verbs, yes. How majty here think you knozu the na7ne 
of this word? I don't think you do. Well, we will see. First, I 
want to see if you can suggest something else about this word that 
you have ;/V mentioned. We have made two points — used as an 
adjective and derived fvm a verb. We could call it a verbal adjective, 
a perfectly good name. Who sees somethi7ig else about this word ? 

P. Well, it ends in '' i-n-g," too. 

(56) T. Yes, that is not so i?nportant, however. Something else? 
Christina ? 

P. They are all verbs of, well, of sort of clauses. They 
have no subject, but the subject of the whole sentence is the 
subject of the clause and those are the verbs of them. 

(57) T. What is the clause ? (Reads, '' The deer bounded away 
to safety.") Now what is your clause left over ? 

P. " Pausing a moment to listen." 

(58) T. Is that a clause? 

P. Well, it is in a way. 

(59) T. What is the subject ? , 
P. It has n't got any subject of its own. 



Elio EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(60) T. If it has ft't a subject and predicate^ it is n't a clause. 
It is nH a clause. Now what is it ? 

P. Phrase. 

(61) T. Yes, it is a sort of phrase, and the whole phrase modi- 
fies the noun. let us take this one. ''^ The stream, ^^ etc. We have nH 
talked about the rest of this phrase. Walter Clyde 1 

P. They all have a direct object, and " the meadow " 
is it. 

(62) T. Winding ivhere ? 

P. Through the meadow. 

(63) T. Who is ready to tell me what ''through the meadow^^ is ? 
P. '^ Through the meadow " is an adverbial phrase modi- 
fying " winding." 

(64) T. It takes an adverbial modifier, that one does. What 
does this 07ie do 1 Who is ready to say what this one does, — " The 
miser, lifti?ig the lid of the box " .? Christina 1 

P. "Lid" is an object of the verb "lifting" — of the 
verbal adjective "lifting." 

(65) T. Of the verbal adjective ^^ lifting.^' Who ever heard of 
an adjective taking an object 1 Never heard of it before, but it does. 
" Of the box,"" of course, is just a phrase. What about the rest of 
this phrase ^^ struggling up the slope " ? Katherine 'I 

P. Well, it joins the — joins two clauses. 

(66) T. What is your verbal adjective 1 
P. " Struggle." Oh, " struggling." 

(67) T. "^^ Struggling.'''' This word took an object ; does this one 
take an object ? Struggling where, Katherine ? 

P. Up the slope. 

(68) T. What does this one take, then 1 Help her. Vera 1 
P. Adverbial phrase. 

(69) T. Stand and say it. 

P. " Up the slope " is an adverbial phrase modifying 
" struggling." 

(70) T. What may these verbal adjectives have with them in 
the whole phrase 1 

P. Object. 

(71) T. Either an object or a phrase. How then are they like 
verbs, very like verbs ? Two reaso7is, Christina ? 



ABSTRACT AND GENERAL MEANINGS eiii 

P. They are like verbs because they can take objects 
or phrases, adverbial phrase modifiers, and they express action in 
their phrase. 

(72) T. What is the third thifig, then, which tve have learned 
about these new words ? That they are so like verbs that they will 
take what ? 

Objects, and then they can take phrase modifiers. 

Do they ever take single-woi'd modifiers ? 

No. 

Look and see. 

Yes, they can. 

Explain it. 

Well, " rocking " — '' slowly " is an adverb modifying 





P. 


i3i) 


T. 
P. 


(74) 


T. 
P. 


(75) 


T. 
P. 


" rocking." 

(76) T. 

P. 


(77) 


T. 
P. 


(78) 


T. 



What is '^ rocking'' ^ 
" Rocking " is a verbal adjective. 
Now what may modify these verbal adjectives., then ? 
Adverbs and adverbial phrases. 

Adve?'bs ajid adverbial phrases. What other evidences 
that they are verbal in their nature have we other than that? 
P. They can take an object. 

(79) T. How do they differ from the real predicate that does 
assert action ? Who will compare ''"' bounded"" and ^''pausing'' ? Is 
that too hard for this class? 

P. Well, one 's where he stopped and one is where he went. 

(80) T. What is this, Katherine? 
P. It 's a verb. 

(81) T. Predicate verb asserting the thing that the verb did. 
Now I did that comparing for you. A stronger class would have 
done that comparing. Who is ready to compare ? 

P. " Winding " is an adjective modifying " stream," and 
"flows " is a verb which asserts something of the subject. 

(82) T. Yes, that is all. How many see the differ erice betiveen 
this verbal modifier, this verbal adjective, which is not a?i asse?fing 
verb, and the asserting verb ? Which is the asserting verb i?i this 
sentence : " The boy, struggling,''' etc. ? What is the asserting verb i?t 
that sentence ? 

P. '' Reached." 



EI 12 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(83) T. What is the verbal adjective iii that sentence ? 
P. " Struggling." 

(84) T. (Reads, " Uncle Tom," etc.) I want the asserting verb 
in that sentence. 

P. "Was." 

(85) T. What is the verbal adjective there ? 
P. "Rocking." 

(86) T. Who can use ^"^ rocking''^ and make it a part of the 
asserting verb so that it is not an adjective at alii 

P. He was rocking to and fro. 

(87) T. But if I say " Uncle Tom, rocking to and fro, heard the 
music,^^ what is "^"^ rocking ^^ there 1 

P. It is a verbal adjective. 

(88) T. What modifies 'V<?^r" iii this sentence 1 
P. "Red." 

(89) T. What modifies 'V^^r" in this sentenced 
P. "Pausing." 

(90) T. Mary, you may compare ^^ pausing'''' and ";r^." Are 
they alike in any way ? Are they different in any ivay ? 

P. Well, they are alike because they are both adjectives 
and they both modify " deer," and they are different because one 
sort of shows action and the other does n't. One is a verbal 
adjective and one is an adjective. 

(91) T. Plain, ordinary adjective. Good recitation, Mary. Who 
will take the second se?itence? Compare the verbal adjective here 
with the other adjective here. " The broad stream, ^^ etc. 

P. " Broad " there is like " winding " because it modifies 
" stream," but " winding " shows action and " broad " does n't. 

(92) T. So ^^ winding ^^ is — .? 

P. " Winding " is a verbal adjective and " broad " is an 
ordinary adjective. 

(93) T. Is afi ordinary adjective. Who ivill take the ^^ lonely, 
unhappy miser '^ ? Is there a modifier over there of ^'^ miser'''' 1 
Compare the third sentences. Compare those modifiers. Our time 
is slipping. Well, what adjective modifies " miser " over here ? 
Katherine, do it. 

P. "Lifting." "Lifting" modifies "miser," and "lonely" 
and " unhappy " modify " miser " in that sentence, but " lonely " 



ABSTRACT AND GENERAL MEANINGS EI13 

and "unhappy" are. adjectives modifying "miser," and "lifting" 
is a verbal adjective modifying " miser " in that sentence. 

(94) T. Any questions'^ 

P. How do you diagram them ? 

(95) T. We'll take that up later. 
P. What 's its name ? 

(96) T. What is its 7iame? How ma?iy know its 7iame? In 
looking about for a name to give a word whose natuj'e was verbal 
and whose use was adjectival, the Latin scholars chose a word that 
means ^^ to partake in,'' ''"'to share." What name did they choose "i 

P. Participle. 

(97) T. Spell it, Jack. All together. 
All. P-a-r-t-i-c-i-p-1-e. Participle. 

(98) T. Why participle 1 Why sharer or pa?'taker i7i ? Why, 
Jack ? 

P. Because it is partly a verb and partly an adjective. 

(99) T. Exactly. It sha?'es in the nature of both verb and 
adjective and is used as an — 1 

P. An adjective. 
(100) T. And is derived frojn — 1 

P. A verb, 
(loi) T. There you have it. Who is ready to give the definite, 
full defnitiojt of the participle ? It comes from participare, "/<? share 
in." Who are ready to say o?ie, two, thixe thiiigs in the defi?iition 
of a participle 1 Maude ? 

P. A participle is a verbal adjective and it shows action, 
but yet it is an adjective and modifies a noun. A participle can 
be modified by one word or groups of words or an object. 

(102) T. Modified by an object? It 9?iay take — 
P. No, it may take an object. 

(103) T. Yes. In our . definition shall we group our adverbial 
modifiers both single words and phrases a7id call the7n adverbial 
modifiers 1 A participle may take a7i adverbial modifier or an object 
or — .? Who is ready to shorten that defi7iitio7i, shorte7i it and yet 
make it tell all that Christi7ia gai7ied ? 

P. A verbal adjective is derived from a verb and it 
modifies the subject and can take an adverbial phrase, an object, 
or any adverbial modifier. 



EI 14 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(104) T. Yes. You said it modifies the subject. Not necessaiily. 
It may modify an object. ^^ I saw Uncle Tom sitting by the window.'''' 
You see ? I would like a better dejifiition yet. Vera ? 

P. A participle is a verbal adjective and is derived from 
a verb. It shows action. No, it takes an object and adverbial 
modifiers. 

(105) T. I think that sums it all up. Derived from a verb., 
used as an adjective. Its vei'bal iiatwe is shown by the fact that it 
may take an object a?id may have adverbial modifiers. Write this 
definitio7i for me for home wo7'k, — a good, full definition. See if 
you can apply the knowledge you have. Who sees a participle in 
this sentence 1 Edward 2 

P. " The tiger, crouching in the tall grass, was snarling 
defiance." " Crouching." It modifies " tiger." 

(106) T. Comes f'om the verb — .? 

P. Comes from the verb " crouch." 

(107) T. All right. The next one? fack? 

P. " Looking more closely, I saw a black snake among 
the weeds." "Looking" is a participle because it is used as an 
adjective to modify "I." 

(108) T. Do you think you could go th7vugh these and apply 
your k7iowledge there ? I thi7ik you could. 



CHAPTER L 

ANTICIPATE LESSON PLANNING 

Avoid neglect. — It is well to anticipate lesson planning 
by some preliminary easy practice in writing plans instead 
of postponing it until the class reaches Chapter XXI, since 
this will be so near the end of the course that sufficient 
time may not be available to give the topic the attention 
it deserves. 

An actual plan. — The general-science lesson plan given 
above, on page E102, was written and carried out by one 
of the regular teachers in The University of Chicago High 
School, Mr. Wilbur Beauchamp. 

While the lesson was taught for observation, the teacher 
did not know that his plan was to be examined ; hence the 
written plan represents a real teacher's real preparation and 
has not been '' polished up," as are many published plans. 
His plans of other lessons not observed follow the same 
practice of outlining main points of subject matter and 
exact wording of principal questions. Naturally such a 
plan is not as full as one which would be required of a 
practice teacher. 

Opportunity. — The lesson on participles reported on 
pages E103-EI14 provides a body of material from which 
students may secure some easy practice in writing a lesson 
plan. The following assignment may be made : 

Assignment. — Write a plan of the lesson on participles 
as follows : 

I. Outline the essential points in the subject matter as 
directed in 2, g, on page 485. 

E115 



Ell6 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

1 1 . Outline the ge^ieral procedure and main questions as 
directed in 3, a, and 3, b, on page 485. 

Imitate the sample outlines given on page /f86. 

Later assignments. — Opportunities for other easy assign- 
ments in lesson planning occur in connection with lessons 
observed. Students may be required to cast some of these 
in the form of lesson plans. • ■ 

Using. Bookmarks 

Attention is again called to the desirability of placing 
narrow strips of paper as bookmarks at the places in the 
text and exercises where the discussion centers. This saves 
time in turning the pages to the appropriate places. See 
above, page Evi, for further suggestions. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER X 

FORMING HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT 

Easy to read but hard to prove and apply. — A large 
part of this chapter will be easy rapid reading because it 
consists of easy argument or propaganda and of opinion. 
The issues raised, however, are of vital importance to society 
and education and may be made the subject of profound 
study. Appropriate subject matter to attain the recreational 
aims described in the chapter is being rapidly organized, but 
the technique of using it successfully is difficult to^ master. 

Oral reports on periodical articles. — If time permits, a 
few of the best students who are expecting to teach English 
may be asked to report the striking and useful suggestions for 
teaching contained in some of the articles listed at the end 
of this chapter in the exercise book or other related articles. 

Procure Literary Digest. — In anticipation of exercise 20 
(which see) procure or read copies of the Literary Digest. 

Important exercises. — Do not fail to use exercises 28 
and 29, on the '' Marmion " lesson. 

Recreational Attitudes 

1. P^iritanism versus enjoyment. — State in which of the 
following ways you regard the play and other leisure activities 
of adolescents and adults and why : as predominantly 

(1) instruments of Satan ; 

(2) a means of keeping them out of mischief ; 

(3) a means of keeping them healthy mentally and physically 
so that they can work harder and more efficiently ; 

(4) activities justified by the enjoyment which they afford. 

EI 17 



Eii8 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Miscellaneous Recreations 

2. Two aims at one blow. — In the case of most students 
who have no physical abnormahties can the same physical 
exercises be used to develop both health and habits of en- 
joyment} Give examples and explain. 

3. Athletics for all. — Could the following practice be 
carried out in your home high school ? Why ? 

" In general, it is the policy of the School to encourage all 
pupils to take a reasonable interest in athletics rather than to 
center attention on the production of a few successful teams. 
Suitable playgrounds make it possible to encourage inter-class 
contests and games. All teams are given adequate instruction, 
inter-class schedules are planned for all the School sports, and 
suitable recognition is given the winning class teams. The grant- 
ing of emblems for proficiency in athletics is governed by a set 
of rules published in the Stude?tts^ Handbook. These emblems are 
publicly conferred in the School Assembly with appropriate exer- 
cises designed to bring out the social and moral aspects of athletic 
life, and in particular to emphasize the fact that the individual has 
earned this recognition under strict rules guaranteeing the quality 
of his work." — From the Announcement of The University of 
Chicago High School. 

4. Spirit of a chib. — A history teacher who assisted in 
organizing a history club consisting of high-school students 
had the club make a rule that no outside preparation for the 
meetings in the form of study would be permitted. Was 
this a good rule t Why } 

5. Dancing and parties. — {a) Should high schools give 
instruction in social dancing } Why .? 

(&) Would there be any special difficulties in organizing 
school parties in public high schools similar to those de- 
scribed on page 238 for a private high school.? Explain 
and give examples if you know of any. 

6. Esthetics of music. — id) Does the quotation from 
Farnsworth at the bottom of page 239 imply that the ''full 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT EI19 

aesthetic value " of songs can be best developed by unison 
singing ? 

(&) Compare his use of the phrase ''aesthetic value" in 
the quotation at the bottom of page 241. What does it mean ? 

Understanding Versus Enjoyment 

7. The joys of mediocrity. — (a) What proverbial saying 
expresses the point of the example quoted below ? 

(&) Would this proverb apply with equal force to matters 
of health ? Why ? 

(c) What is the force of the term, " mediocrity," in the 
headline of this exercise ? 

A Chicago dramatic reviewer writes of an acquaintance, " an 
eager lady who, proficient in the art of music, seeks her happi- 
ness through that medium." Yet, so thoroughly trained is she in 
music, that she sits thj'oiigh most concerts " in gloo7ny disapproba- 
tion. Even her own endeavors to reproduce the masters do not 
always please her, and so the miseries of her musical existence far 
exceed her joys ^ 

" This lady [says the reviewer] is a frequent patron of the 
theater. Of the drama she knows enough to find her way about, 
to look for her favorite authors and actors, and to attend them 
when they exhibit in this vicinity. Her taste in the matter, how- 
ever, grades with that of one who in music would be moved by 
the specious measures of ' You Made Me Love You, and I 
Didn't Want to Do It.' I saw her the other evening at a per- 
formance of/ A Perfect Lady.' Now, 'A Perfect Lady,' despite 
its apparent effectiveness as an amusement, is not a good play. 
Irving Berlin or Gus Edwardes, dredging the depths of sound, 
never dug up a product so hopeless musically as ' A Perfect Lady ' 
is dramatically. Yet my friend sat through its progress entranced. 
She was as happy as the most tainted wether of the flock. Her 
childlike raptures at each obnoxious discord wei'e delightful to behold. 
Vanished was her recital look of bitter yearning, gone the discomfort 
a7id despair. I learned upon inquiry that she invariably found 
happiness in the theater. ' Peg o' My Heart ' fascinated her, as 



EI20 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

did ' Pygmalion/ and ' Potash and Perlmutter,' and ' The Legend 
of Leonora.' Yet for the art and the pseudo-art of the theater 
which contribute so much to the joy of her living she has the mild 
contempt of an expert in another art whose disappointments for 
her outnumber its fulfillments." — From a dramatic editorial by 
Hammond in the Chicago Tribune. 

8. Temperamental reactions. — When you read the verses 
given below, which of the following reactions do you 
make } Why } 

(i) Think, " Is n't it hor-rid ? " 
(2) Feel shocked. At what ? 
, (3) Think, " My professor of literature would n't approve of 
that. Mercy! No!" 

(4) Feel mildly amused. 

(5) Enjoy it hugely. 

(6) Want to read it again. 

(7) Wonder whether the author is right. 

(8) Think it is true. How is it true ? 

(9) Think it is false. How is it false ? 



THE RECOIL 

By Bert Leston Taylor 

I met a friend of lofty brow — 

As lofty as the laws allow. 

I said to him, " You '11 know, I'm sure — 

What 's doing now in Litrychoor ? " 

Said he : "I hate the very name ; 

I'm weary of the blooming game. 

I read, whenever I have time, 

Something by Phillips Oppenheim." 

" Cheer up ! " said I. '' What 's new in Art ? 
You drift around the picture mart. 
What do you think of Mr. Blum ? — 
Some say he 's great, some say he 's bum." 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT eI2I 

''I'm strong for Blum," my friend replied ; 
'' His pictures are so queer and pied. 
I would n't change them if I could ; 
I'd rather have things queer than good." 

I spoke of this, I spoke of that. 

But everything was stale and flat. 

Said I, '" You once adored the chaste, 

You used to have such perfect taste." 

" Good taste," he wailed, " brings but distress, 

'T is an affliction, nothing less ; 

While those whose taste is punk and vile 

Are happy all the blessed while." 

" Oh, take a brace, old m.an ! " said I. 

" Let me prescribe a nip of rye. 

And then we '11 go to see a play ; 

I 've two for Barrymore to-day.". 

" No, no," he groaned ; " 'twould be a bore, 

With all respect to Barrymore." 

Said I : " Then whither shall we go ? " 

Said he : "A moving picture show." 

9. Forms of enjoyment — (a) What forms of enjoyment 
mentioned in the quotation from Thorndike on pages 
244-250 do the following verses call forth? Explain. 

WHY? 
By Bert Leston Taylor 

Why, when the sun is gold, 

The weather fine, 
The air (this phrase is old) 

Like Gascon wine ; — 

Why, when the leaves are red. 

And yellow, too. 
And when (as has been said) 

The skies are blue ; — 



EI 22 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Why, when all things promote 

One's peace and joy, — 
A joy that is (to quote) 

Without alloy ; — 

Why, when a man 's well off, 

Happy and gay, 
Why must he go play golf, 

And spoil his day ! 

(&) If you have never played golf do you see any 
specially /mmorous situation or suggestion in the poem? 

(c) After answering (&) look at the cartoon on page E125. 
Does this cartoon explain the humor in the poem to you, 
or does it appear merely as contrasting two family scenes ? 

{d) After answering (c) examine the cartoons on pages 
E126-E127. What do these cartoons suggest concerning 
the more subtle humor, the real point intended by Taylor 
in his poem ? 

(e) What does the class discussion of this exercise sug- 
gest concerning individual differences in enjoyment of 
poetry ? 

(/) What attitude should the teacher take toward these 
differences ? 

10. Literary qtiality of enjoyable verses. — (a) Are the 
verses given in exercise 9 good from the literary stand- 
point? (Consider such questions as the importance of 
the theme and the thoughts expressed, attractiveness of 
expression, skill in versification.) 

(6) Evaluate the verses in exercise 8 in the same manner. 

(c) After (but not before) answering (&) and (c), read the 
facts about Mr. Taylor in the bibliography on page E140, 
below, number 14. 

11. Thorndikes favorite phrase. — What is Thorndike's 
favorite phrase to describe the aesthetic enjoyment of 
literature ? (See quotation, pp. 244-250.) 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT EI23 

Art and Morality 

12. Real versiLS pseudo-emotions. — (a) Do the persons 
who desire all reading of literature to have some moral con- 
sequence expect it to arouse real emotions or pseiido-^TixoXiOTv?, 
in terms of Thorndike's discussion on pages 246-250? 

(h) Which sentences in Thorndike's discussion are most 
important in helping you to answer (a) ? 

13. /;/ history. — What sentence in the Mahaffy quota- 
tion on pages 250-251 best expresses its general point from 
the standpoint of its use in this chapter ? 

Forming Habits of Enjoying Reading in High School. 
Teaching Literature in High School 

14. Alternative headings. — Which of the headings 
given immediately above is more useful here } Why ? 

15. Repetition aspect. — From the standpoint of repeti- 
tion in forming habits, which of the following practices is 
better .? Why ? 

(i) To read 2. few books several times. 

(2) To read a great 77iany books and magazine articles each o?ice. 

16. Zeal aspect. — From the standpoint of zeal and in- 
terest as factors in forming habits, which practice noted in 
exercise 1 5 is better ? Why ? 

17. Getting pnpils iiiterested. — State the advantages and 
disadvantages of each of the following practices to get 
pupils interested in reading : 

(i) Hand the pupil a suitable book for his age and let him 
examine it for 15 minutes. 

(2) Read interestiiig pa7is of books aloud to children. 

(3) Let pupils browse in library. 

(4) Have children list books they like and make these books 
accessible. 

(5) Occasional papers written by pupils 2}L>o\xt favorite books; 
papers to be read in class (see references 5 and 8, pp. E139-E140). 



EI 24 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

18. Making a 7^eading list. — In making a list of books 
to be read by students out of class, which of the devices 
listed below would you use ? Give special reason for each 
one chosen. 

(i) Look up list of college-entrance requirements. 

(2) Consult ia) a professor of English, {b) a high-school teacher 
of English, (c) a teacher of science, id) a teacher of history, 
{e) an editor of a local paper, (/) a public librarian, (^) parents, 
(Ji) a book dealer. 

(3) Ascertain list of books in home libraries. 

(4) List your own leisure reading as an adolescent and adult. 

(5) Turn pupils loose for a week in a library and require 
report of what they found and liked. 

(6) Ask students to list the books which they have read during 
the past year. 

19. Recent authors. — (a) What place would you assign 
to the works of each of the following authors in the reading 
by high-school pupils 1 Name the works which you would 
assign or reject, with reasons. 

(6) What suggestions do you receive in answering (a) from 
the note on the voluntary reading of high-school students 
given below on pages E138-E139.? 

Mark Twain Jack London 

O. Henry Booth Tarkington 

Theodore Roosevelt Conan Doyle 

Robert Chambers Gilbert Parker 

Stephen Leacock Stanley Weyman 

Ring Lardner Winston Churchill 

David Graham Phillips Rex Beach 

Joseph Conrad Rudyard Kipling 

J. M. Barrie John Fox, Jr. 

W. T. Grenfell John Galsworthy 

Stewart Edward White The Duchess 

20. Current poetry. — Buy or secure access to several 
numbers of the Literary Digest. Use them as follows : 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT EI25 

(a) Select two poems which you think high-school pupils 
would enjoy. Give reasons for your selection. 

(6) How would you read these for your own enjoyment 
— silently or aloud ? slowly or rapidly ? for narrative ? for 
pictures ? for words ? more than once ? 



VA/HA.T GOLF* DOES TO A A\A>N 




Courtesy of New York Tribune 
ILLUSTRATION OF ENJOYMENT OF HUMOR 

See exercise 9, (c), p. E122 

(c) Look up the price of the Literary Digest if bought 
in quantities and devise a scheme for procuring copies for 
use in class. 

id) Describe how you would use the section on current 
poetry. 

{e) In what other subjects might the magazine be used 
to great advantage t 

(/) What sections other than the one on poetry might 
you use in the English class ? Why t 



EI 26 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 



21. Periodical reading. — (a) In the facts on voluntary 
reading of periodicals by high-school pupils, on page E137, 
below, what accounts for the predominance of the Youth's 
Companion ? 

(&) Does it follow from this predominance that the Youth's 
Companion is the best periodical to emphasize in high school 
in forming habits of reading periodicals? Explain. 

(c) For the purpose mentioned in (&), what two periodicals 
in the list on page E137 would you emphasize? 




THE START 
Why, when a man is happy and gay — 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT EI27 

(d) State what should be done with each of the following 
to form habits of enjoying reading in high-school pupils : 

Local daily paper The Parisienne 

High-grade metropolitan daily The Outlook 

or Sunday paper National Geographic Magazine 

Saturday Evening Post Popular Mechanics 

Ladies' Home Journal ' Outing 

Hearst's Magazine Good Housekeeping 
Snappy Stories 




THE FINISH 

Must he go play golf, and spoil his day ? 

See exercise 9, (d), p. E122 



EI 28 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

22. Ainowtt of reading.- — (a) How many hoiLrs a week 
of recreational reading should a high-school student do ? 

(&) Hozv many words will he read in this time ? Use 
data given below, on page E193. 

• (c) At this rate how long would it take him to read some 
standard book, such as "Treasure Island," or some other 
volume that you have at hand for examination ? 

23. Reading experience. — State what differences you 
would make in reading assignments for the following : 

(i) Child of a professor or editor ; has read all children's books, 
much adult fiction, travel, etc. 

(2) Studious grind of poor family ; thinks she has no time for 
anything except textbooks and housework. 

(3) Nonstudious, nonreading boy ; wants to be outdoors all the 
time or, if indoors, dancing or playing cards and pool. 

2^. . Fiction : individual differences i7i methods of reading. 
— State what allowance you would make for the following 
differences in methods of reading fiction for enjoyment. 

(i) Some pupils and educated adults skip descriptions. 

(2) Some do not enjoy reading if they know the story in advance. 

(3) Some read the beginning, then the ending, then the rest. 

(4) Some read choice parts time and again. 

25. Loveliness and logic. — The poems below were in- 
cluded by the Boston TranscHpt among the thirty best poems 
published in 19 16-19 17. Read each slowly, out loud, at least 
once. Then answer the questions printed on page E130. 

BARTER 
By Sara Teasdale 

Life has loveliness to sell. 

All beautiful and splendid things. 

Blue waves whitened on a cliff, 
Soaring fire that sways and sings, 
' And children's faces looking up 

Holding wonder like a cup. 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT EI29 

Life has loveliness to sell, 

Music like a curve of gold, 
Scent of pine-trees in the rain, 

Eyes that love you, arms that hold, 
And for your spirit's still delight, 
Holy thoughts that star the night. 

Spend all you have for loveliness, 

Buy it and never count the cost ; 
For one white singing hour of peace 

Count many a year of strife -well lost. 
And for a breath of ecstasy 
Give all you have been, or could be. 

Love Songs (The Macmillan Company) 



TO A LOGICIAN 

By Dana Burnet 

Cold man, in whom no animating ray 

Warms the chill substance of the sculptor's clay ; 

Grim Reasoner, with problems in your eyes, 

Professor, Sage — however do they call you ? 

Far-seeing Blindman, fame shall yet befall you ; 

Carve you in stone — that winter of the wise ! — 

And set you up in some pale portico 

To frown on heaven above, on earth below. 

I shall make songs and give them to the breeze, 

And die amid a thousand ecstasies ! 

I shall be dust, and feel the joyous sting 

Of that sweet arrow from the bow of Time 

Which men call Spring. 

And out of my dead mouth a rose shall come like rime ! 

But you, in your eternal state of snows. 

Shall thrill no more to life's resurgent flood, . 

Nor cast death's laughter into April's rose ! 

You shall be marble, who were never blood. 

Harper's Magazine 



EI30 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(a) What sentences on page 262 do the poems illustrate ? 

(b) What antithesis do they suggest between this chapter 
and the preceding one ? 

(c) What new title for the first poem would you suggest ? 

(d) Are the sentiments of the first one ^suited only to 
sentimental women and long-haired artists ? Explain. 

26. Technique with classics. — In teaching literary classics 
which of the following would you emphasize 1 Why } 

(i) Life of the author and history of his literary relationships. 

(2) Technique of workmanship. 

(3) The spontaneous responses of the students. 

(4) The purpose of the author in writing the selection. 

(5) The phases of the selection which you enjoy most yourself. 

(6) Punctuation, spelling, parsing, analysis. 

(7) Explanation of allusions and unusual words. 

(8) If a play : 

(a) The fundamental story (or plot). 

(^) Stage directions. 

{c) Expressive reading of the whole play by the teacher. 

id) Elocutionary reading of parts by pupils. 

{e) Historical setting. 

27. History of literatitre. — To which of the following is 
the history of literature most closely related: (i) forming 
habits of harmless enjoyment or (2) the study of history as 
descriptive sociology.? Explain. (Cf. p. E139, § 6.) 

28. Write a plan of the lesson on ^' Marmion^ — Write 
a plan of the lesson on '' Marmion " on pages E131-E136. 
Include (i) the five main points in the subject matter and 
(2) the principal questions asked. Hand it iii. See directions 
for lesson plans on pages 484-486. 

29. Evaluate the '' Marmion " lesson. — (a) Does the 
'' Marmion " lesson avoid the criticisms implied in the satire 
on pages 260-262 of the text } Explain. 

(&) Point out two commendable features in the lesson, 
(c) Which items in exercise 26 does it emphasize 1 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT EI31 

PART OF A LESSON ON SCOTT'S ^'MARMION"! 

This lesson was actually conducted as set forth in the dialogue, 
which was transcribed by a stenographer who was present for 
that purpose. 

In order to get the full effect of the lesson, including many 
crudities in the pupils' answers, read it out loud. 

The first part of the lesson (not quoted here) was devoted to 
the telling of the story by the pupils and to its historical setting. 
In the latter connection the discussion turned to " knighthood " 
and proceeded as follows : 

(i) Teacher. What we7x the ideals of the knights of that period 1 
Pupil. They must be brave, fight well, ride well, and be 
faithful. 

(2) T. Anything else 1 ^ 

P. They must always be loyal to their king, and help 
anyone in trouble. 

(3) T. These were the chief points. Have you read any stories 
of any other knights besides " Marmion " ? 

1ST P. '' Sir Launfal," " Ivanhoe." 

2D P. All the stories of the Round Table. 

3D P. '' Parsifal." 

(4) T. Does that belong to this period ? 
P. A little earlier. 

(5) T. Still, you have read about knights and their ideals ; any 
other stories ? 

P. " Sir Nigel." 

(6) T. Who is the most interesting knight you have read aboutl 
P. Ivanhoe. 

(7) T. You liked that best ? How many do ? 
(Hands.) 

(8) T. A good story of a very interesting knight. Do you think 
Marmion was a true knight ? 

(Hands.) 

P. I think he was as far as fighting and braveness were 
concerned, but when he put Clare in prison, — I don't think that 
showed a good spirit. 

1 From Romiett Stevens's " The Question in Instruction," pp. 90-95. 



EI 32 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(9) T. Why did he put Clare in prison 1 

P. I mean Constance — he wanted to marry Clare, and 
he put Constance in prison to get her out of the way. 

(10) T. Did he put her in there expecting she would be killed 1 
P. No. 

(11) T. Your opinion^ Arthur "i 

Arthur. He was worse when he forged the letters. 

(12) T. You think that was the greatest wrong that he did 'I 
How many agreed 

Pupils. Yes. * 

(13) T. He simply felt that Constance would be taken care of 
in that monastery. Do you consider him the hero of the poem ? 

P. I do, yes ; because it is mostly about him. 

(14) T. Well, you say he is a man guilty of treason, and he 
certainly didn't protect the weak, — not a hero in that respect. 

Dorothy. I think the hero in a book ought to be a very 
good man, and I think the man Scott has in mind to be the hero 
is Ralph De Wilton. 

(15) T. Your opinion^ B?'uce ? 

Bruce. I think Ralph De Wilton is the hero in a way, — 
I think Marmion is a sort of hero, — toward the end Marmion is, 
and Ralph De Wilton in the beginning. 

(16) T. Which one triumphs in the end 2 

P. I think Marmion — I mean Ralph De Wilton. 

(17) T. Your opinion, Carl? 

Carl. I think Marmion ; he was n't a hero through the 
book, but I think if he could have revived after he had been hurt, 
he would have been a good' man; he was sorry when he heard 
about Constance. 

(18) T. Ed? 

Ed. I think he is, it is a sort of an English knight ; I 
don't judge a man by whether he is good or not, — the chief man 
in the book. 

P. It tells more about Marmion than Ralph De Wilton, 
but I don't think he is the hero. 

(19) T. You consider Ralph De Wilton the hero? ■ 
P. Yes. 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT EI33 

(20) T. Vou think it was the times rather than the man himself 'i 
Pupils. Yes. 

(21) T. That is perfectly true ; I must confess I think the story 
is a little weak in that point, — it is called '^ 3farmioji'' but the one 
who triumphs really is Ralph De Wilton. 

P. The most part of it is about Marmion. 
. (22) T. Yes. 

P. So I think you could consider the book well named. 

(23) T. That is perfectly t?'ue, but there is that other criticism 
that Marmion himself is not the one who triumphs ; it is the over- 
throw, really, of Martnion, who represents the evil, and Ralph De 

Wilto?i, the good} SomeoJie spoke of the worst thing he did, which 
was ti'eason ; does anyone think that in that time forgery ivas 
rather out of harmony 1 

P. I don't think he would have done it in anything else ; 
I think he thought — that he knew — Clare liked Ralph better 
than she did him, and she wanted to get him out of the way. 

(24) T. The author was very cojisistent in putting his whole 
story in the Middle Ages, and that one point offo7ge?y was rather 
a commercial point. What do you consider the 7'eal weakiiess in 
Marmion^ s character 2 

1ST P. He wanted to be so great himself; he wanted every- 
thing ; and Constance did n't have any lands and Clare did, so he 
wanted to marry her, and he forged the letters. 

2D P. His weakness was in how he loved people. 

(25) T. What do you mean exactly 1 

P. At first he loved Constance, and Clare came along, 
and he liked her because she had lands. 

(26) T. He really always loved Constance, did 11' t he? 

P. His pride and self-conceit,^ — and in the second place 
he thinks he is greater than Ralph De Wilton, so Clare should like 
him better ; he says : " I am this wonderful knight — -." 

(27) T. His conceit, his ambition, is really the thing that proves 
his downfall. I asked you to select any stanzas that you considered 

1 What could the teacher have meant by this statement? 
^ Probably reverting to the main question of weaknesses in No. 24, 
above. 



EI 34 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

particularly good on account of the color. Did you find one ? The 
canto and the stanza ? Dorothy ? 

Dorothy. Canto I, stanza I. 

(28) T. Eead it out loud. 

Dorothy. " Along tixC bridge Lord Marmion rode, 
Proudly his red-roan charger trode," 
(Reads 20 lines.) 

(29) T. That is a very good description of Marmion there^ but 
has it much color ? 

Dorothy. I think it has. 

(30) T. What part? 

Dorothy. His appearance, his face — 

(31) T. Was bright? 
Dorothy. No it was dark. 

(32) T. Is that color? I think that is a capital description, but 
I don't think there is tmich color i7i it. 

Dorothy. I didn't find any stanza I thought was any 
better. 

{zi) T. Margaret? 

Margaret. I took Canto IV and stanza XXVIII. 

(34) T. fust read that part of it that has a good deal of color in it. 
Margaret. It is all through the stanza : 

" Nor mark'd they less, where in the air 
A thousand streamers flaunted fair ; 
Various in shape, device and hue. 
Green, sanguine, purple, red and blue. " 

(Reads about 20 lines.) 

(35) T. A good deal of motion in that. 

Margaret. And the color of all the different flags. 

(36) T. There was a capital description right after the one you 
read, Dorothy, — the trappings of the horses — 

P. Yes, I think it was light blue. 

(37) T. Any stanza you found with a great deal of action; 
where would you look to find a stanza with a great deal of action ? 

P. At the end of the book. 

(38) T. What was that? 
P. Flodden Field. 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT EI35 

(39) T. Anyone find a good stanza there 1 Margaret .? 
Margaret. There was a good deal of action • where 

Marmion — 

(40) T. There was a good deal — 

P. Where he dashes over the drawbridge. 

(41) T. Yes; any in the battle 'i Carlto?i? Turn to the class 
and read it aloud. 

Carlton. " At length the freshening western blast 
Aside the shroud of battle cast ; " 

(Reads 16 lines.) 

(42) T. That is very good ; and the 7iext stanza, i7i the fight 
itself ; how many noticed that ? 

(Hands.) 

(43) T. What passages in ''^ Marmion''^ are quoted frequently, 
A?ma ? 

Anna. I think where Marmion says good-by to Douglas, 
and where Douglas is angry because Marmion tells him that he 
has lied. 

(44) T. Why do you suppose that is so frequently selected to be 
put into readers ? 

P. I think it has so much feeling and so much swing — 

(45) T. It has feeling and swi7ig — 
P. Yes. 

(46) T. Any other reason .? How inafiy can just see those two 
men, Douglas and Marmio ft, pitted agai?ist each other 'i Any other? 

P. " O woman ! in our hours of ease 

Uncertain, coy, and hard to please, 
And variable as the shade 
By the light quivering aspen made ; 
When pain and anguish wring the brow, 
A ministering angel thou ! " 

(47) T. Do you believe that ? 
P. No. 

(48) T. I don^t either ; it may have been true at that time. 
P. There is another, where Constance says : 

" And come he slow, or come he fast. 
It is but Death that comes at last." 



EI 36 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(49) T. Anothe?'? 

Margaret. " And dar'st thou then 

To beard the Hon in his den, 
The Douglas in his hall?" 

(50) T. How 7nany have read " The Lady of the Lake^'' ? 
(Hands.) 

(51) T. Which do you like better, " Mar?nio?i " or " The Lady 
of the Lake''? 

Ed. '^ The Lady of the Lake," I read about two years 
ago in Miss A.'s class, and I can remember it, but this I couldn't 
remember in a couple of weeks. 
" (52) T. Dorothy? 

Dorothy. I think I would know right away that I was 
reading Scott; the two books; he repeats himself the way Macaulay 
does ; their heroes are something the same. 

(53) T. // is Scott all the way through. What do you think are 
the strong poifits in " Marmion " ? 

P. I don't know. 

(54) T. JLow ma7iy feel that the descriptions are capital? 
(Hands.) 

(55) T. L wafit everyone by Mo?iday to have purchased a copy 
of '' Silas Marnier," etc., etc. For to-morrow prepare the grammar 
on page g^, etc., etc. 

Voluntary Reading by 800 High-School Pupils 

The following information was secured in the Decatur, 
Illinois, High School in response to a questionnaire sub- 
mitted by the superintendent, J. O. Engleman, and is 
published in his report for 1914-1915. While there are 
certain defects in this method of securing information, the 
outcome is useful for suggestions in regard to reading. 

MAGAZINE READING 

Replying to the question, ^^ What magazines do you regularly 
read?" loi answer "None." The other 700 students ought to 
find magazine reading suited to their varied tastes, for they read a 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT 



EI37 



total of 178 different publications ! It may surprise many readers 
to know that there is such a formidable list to be found. 

Below may be seen a list of 2^ of the most popular magazines 
read by our students, judged by the number of regular readers 
of each : 



The Youth's Companion ..... read by 

The Ladies' Home Journal .... " 

Saturday Evening Post " 

Popular Mechanics " 

Woman's Home Companion ... " 

Pictorial Review " 

Collier's . " 

Cosmopolitan '' 

American Boy " 

The Outlook 

Life 

McCall's . • . 

American Magazine '' 

Ladies' World 

Literary Digest " 

Delineator '". 

Woman's World " 

Scientific American . . . . " 

Everybody's " 

Puck 

Harper's '' 

Good Housekeeping . . . . . . " 

McClure's '' 

Current Opinion '' 

World's Work 



182 students 
I 56 students 
93 students 
78 students 
72 students 
72 students 
71 students 
65 students 
59 students 
59 students 
47 students 
46 students 
44 students 
44 students 
43 students 
38 students 
36 students 
31 students 
30 students 
29 students 
28 students 
28 students 
28 students 
27 students 
26 students 



At the other end of the scale are 65 magazines with but one 
reader each, and 2 1 others with only two readers each. This list 
of 86 includes many of the magazines most widely read by adults, 
and especially by scholarly adults. 

There are prominent educators who believe that the high school 
can well afford to use magazines freely as a basis for the work in 
English, even if it means giving less attention to the classics so 
long prescribed and taught. But whether we would adopt that 
course or not, it seems that a worth-while work can be done by 



EI38 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

placing in the hands of the English teachers a list of the toi 
students who have not yet learned 'to read magazines, and by 
recommending that they introduce them to the various types of 
reading matter found in the best of the magazines accessible. For 
a certain number of lessons to be given acquainting students with 
the character of different magazines — some being scientific, some 
religious, some political or sociological, some literary in the best 
sense, some devoted to art, some to current events, some valuable 
for their book reviews, some for matters of fashion, etc. — is to 
enable students to leave the high school, finally, with a reading 
habit and a discriminating taste that ought to persist. 

BOOKS VOLUNTARILY READ 

The students who have not read a single book (not required 
by the teacher) during the semester number 269. One hundred 
and fourteen failed to answer the question calling for the number 
of books read. It is fair to assume that few, if any, of these had 
read any books. Thus it would appear that j8j students, or 
almost half of the number replymg, have done no reading of books 
save that required by their teachers. 

But the other 400 students had read a list of books amazing in its 
variety. Four hundred and eighteen different titles appear in the list. 
Of this number the book most widely read during the semester is 
'' Eyes of the World," read by 1 7 students. Others most popular are : 

Girl of the Limberlost wi 

Polyanna 

Shepherd of the Hills 

Freckles 

The Virginian 

Inside the Cup . 

St. Elmo 

Crisis 

Lavender and Old Lace 

Winning of Barbara Worth . . . . 
Little Women 

Ben Hur, Bible, Graustark, Rosary, Their Yesterdays, each with 6. 
Alger books. Call of the Wild, Laddie, Rebecca of Sunnybrook 
Farm, and Tom Sawyer, each with 5. 



ith 1 5 readers 
" 15 readers 


" 14 readers 


" 12 readers 


" II readers 


" 10 readers 


" 9 readers 


" 8 readers 


" 8 readers 


" 8 readers 


" 7 readers 



HABITS OF HARMLESS ENJOYMENT. EI39 

Three hundred and thirty-two, or nearly 80 per cent of the 
books in the list, had but one reader each. Inasmuch as this is 
purely voluntary reading, it is of interest to note in what divers 
and diverse directions the student's fancy takes him when left to 
gravitate as it pleases.. 

Perhaps the more significant thing is the list of titles not to be 
found in the list. Dickens, with his long array of novels, has but 
4 voluntary readers ; Hawthorne, 2 ; Scott, 2 ; Kipling, i ; Bulwer 
Lytton, I ; Cooper, 2 ; Victor Hugo, 2 ; Barrie, i ; Milton, i • 
Tennyson, i ; Kingsley, i ; and Shakespeare (mirabile dictu !), i ; 
Stevenson, none ; George Eliot, none. 

Additional Bibliography 

English Journal. — If yoii would be a progressive teacher 
of English, read the English fonrnal regidarly. 

Reading. — i. Abbott, Allan. To Beginners in English Teach- 
ing. Eiiglish Journal^ September, 19 12, Vol. I, pp. 419-424. 
Progressive article by one who has achieved much in improved 
methods of teaching English to high-school, pupils. 

2. AsHMUN, Margaret. Libraiy Reading in High School. 
School Review, Vol. XVIII, pp. 270-273. Discusses kinds of 
books boys and girls like to read at different ages. 

3. AsHMUN, Margaret. Teaching Reading in High School. 
School Review, Vol. XVIII, pp. 196-199. Suggests how to teach. 

4. BoLENius, EiMMA MiLLER. Teaching Literature in the 
Gra^nviar Grades and High School. (Houghton Mifflin Company, 
19 1 5.) Practical directions by a high-school teacher concerning 
reading and teaching about poetry, the drama, short story, novel, 
essay, and oration. 

5. Henchman, W. S. Reading Clubs instead of Literature 
Classes. English Journal, February, 19 17, Vol. VI, pp. 88-95. 

6. Long, W. J. American Literature. (Ginn and Company, 
19 13.) Treats history of literature in relation to national develop- 
ment. 

7. MiKELS, Rosa M. R. Short Stories for High Schools. 
(Charles Scribner's Sons, 1915.) Interesting selections from 
standard authors. A handy volume of good reading for anyone. 



EI40 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

8. Opdycke, J. B. Literature k la Carte. School Review, 
February, 19 17, Vol. XXV, pp. 101-112. Clever article in favor 
of giving pupils more choice in selection of reading. 

9. Opdycke, J. B. Editing to Kill. School Review, April, 
19 1 5, Vol. XXIII, pp. 225-235. Very readable criticism of 
having pupils read annotated editions of classics. 

10. Thomas, S. T. The Teachiiig of English in the Seco?idary 
School. (Houghton Mifflin Company, 19 1 7.) Many practical sug- 
gestions for teaching poetry, fiction, drama, essay, and for organ- 
izing outside reading. 

Reading lists. — 11. Herzberg, M. J. The World of Books. 
(The Pivot Press, Newark, New Jersey, second edition, 1 5 cents.) 
A guide to reading for young people in which may be found 
many kinds both grave and gay. Classified according to types of 
reading and semesters. Very useful. 

Clubs. — 12. Snell, C. a. Mathematics Clubs in High School. 
Mathematics Teacher, 19 15-19 16, Vol. VIII, pp. 72-78. 

Entertainments: social centers. — 13. Perry, Clarence A. 
Community- Center Activities. (Russell Sage Foundation, New 
York City, 19 16.) A handbook telling what to do and how to 
do it in entertainments, contests, social gatherings, clubs, voluntary 
classes, etc. By the leader in community-center work in America. 

Just for fun. — 14. Taylor, Bert Leston (B.L.T.). A Line- 
o'-Verse or Two. (The Reilly & Britton Co., Chicago, 19 11.) 
Mr. Taylor probably contributes more daily pleasure to more 
readers than any other American writer. His daily column in 
the Chicago Tribune, entitled " A Line-o'-Type or Two," is read 
eagerly by persons of all ranks throughout the Middle West and 
even in more distant places. It contains original poems in Eng- 
lish (and sometimes in Latin) by the editor, serious and humorous 
comments on current events, and witticisms by contributors who 
are lucky enough to '' make the line." Mr. Taylor plays golf for 
recreation and takes long canoe trips in the northern woods during 
his vacations. His writings reflect his recreational interests and 
his contact with the great problems of life through service with 
one of the " world's greatest newspapers." 



CHAPTER M 

SPECIALIZED INDIVIDUAL OBSERVATIONS 

Purpose. Provide for varied interests. — If time and 
opportunity permit, provide for individual differences in 
the specialized interests of members of the class by arrang- 
ing for individual observations as described below. 

Assignment. Make five observations. — Choose some 
phase of teaching discussed in Parker's text which is es- 
pecially important in your subject. Make five observations 
of lessons in which this phase of teaching is prominent. 

Suggested phases for observation. — The following phases 
with parallel chapters or pages in the text are suggested : 

(i) Foreign languages. Pronunciation, pages 1 14-1 19 ; vocabu- 
lary and grammatical usage, Chapter VII. 

(2) Social sciences. The use of problem-solving methods in 
history, civics, and economics, pages 169-205. 

(3) Mathematics. Making its abstract ideas more real, pages 
205-226. 

(4) Literature. The technique of securing responses of enjoy- 
ment, pages 242-267. 

(5) Expression. Chapter XL 

(6) Laboratory methods. Chapter XIX. 

Form of report. — {a) Write a concise report of your 
observations to cover not more than five theme pages. 

{b) Preface the report with a list of the observations, 
giving name of subject, school, grade, and teacher. 

{c) Write a unified discussion of the phase of teaching 
observed and its technique as illustrated in your observations. 
Give evidence and examples from the latter but do not 
describe them one after the other or in detail. 

E141 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XI 

TRAINING IN EXPRESSION 

What use can I make of this chapter? — This chapter 
may be of practical value not only to teachers of English 
composition and drawing but also to teachers in other sub- 
jects who are interested in '' cooperative " training in ex- 
pression. It may also prove helpful to those readers who 
are trying to master the art of expression for themselves. 
Therefore the following assignment is suggested. 

Assignment. — Write a paper of not more than two theme 
pages in answer to the following question, "' What use can 
I make of this chapter not only in teaching but also in my 
own efforts at expression now or later .? " Hand the paper 
in when the discussion reaches exercise 22. 

Read pages 269-290. — Read pages 269-290 rapidly at 
first reading. Then prepare through exercise 7 for the first 
discussion. 

Importance of Expression 

1. Compared zvith other subjects. — (a) Give objective evi- 
dence in terms of the amount of time devoted to various 
subjects in the high school to indicate the relative importance 
of training in the following : foreign languages, mathematics, 
expression in English. 

(&) What is your opinion concerning the relative impor- 
tance of these three subjects in the lives of most high- 
school students .? How does your rating compare with the 
rating secured from data given in answer to (a) } 

E142 



TRAINING IN EXPRESSION EI43 

2. Practical versus imaginative expression. — (a) Which 
type of expression does Parker discuss, practical or imagi- 
native ? Give evidence from his chapter. 

(&) Can you suggest better terms than ''practical" and 
" imaginative " to express the antithesis ; for example, would 
'' practical " and '' literary " be better ? Why ? 

(c) Is Parker justified in neglecting in his discussion 
(completely, or almost completely?) one of the above types 
of writing ? Explain. 

Vital Content 

3. Sources of vohCntary topics. — {a) In the list of vol- 
untary topics given on pages 273-274 label each one as 
follows : 

G if primarily a topic of serious general public interest. 

V if primarily vocational for the individual pupil concerned. 

S if primarily from stiide7it activities or leisu7'e activities. 

Count up your labels for each group and state the results. 

(&) What would you conclude from your results concern- 
ing the types of topics upon which students would do the 
most effective writing } Why } 

4. Topics for arguments . — (a) Which of the following 
topics are best for debates in senior high-school classes in 
argumentation } Why } 

ip) Which 2X0. poorest} Why? 

(i) Honesty is the best policy. 

(2) Adoption of an honor system in examinations. 

(3) Abolition of capital punishment for murder. 

(4) Relative merits of certain kinds of automobiles. 

(5) Desirability of intervention by the United States in Mexico. 

(6) A short school day with home study versus a longer school 
day with no home study. 

(7) Prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquor 
as a national law. 



EI 44 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Broad Point of View 

5. Explain narrowness. — The following remarks were 
made by experienced teachers of English composition. Give 
the probable reasons in terms of the teacher's point of view, 
training, or special interests, for each remark. 

(i) One teacher said, " The trouble with vocational writing is 
that it lacks vitality." 

(2) Another said, " I would never have a student write a brief. 
It spoils his writing." 

6. /;/ various subjects. — (a) Does the teacher of expres- 
sion need a broader point of view than a teacher of history } 
Why } 

(b) Does he need a broader point of view than a teacher 
of mathematics .? Why ? 

7. Technical themes. — In case a pupil desires to choose 
a technical topic from a subject concerning which the 
teacher is uninformed, which of the following practices 
would you prefer} Give reasons from Parker's chapter 
and your own experiences. 

(i) Refuse to approve the topic. 

(2) Submit the theme to the teacher of the related subject for 
evaluation of the content. 

(3) Permit the student to present only such simple technical 
matters as could be understood by an ordinary audience. 

(4) Require the student to undertake the presentation of his 
technical material in such a manner as to interest and enlighten 
an ordinary audience. 

8. Content from movies. — id) What forms of desirable 
content for expression might pupils secure from moving 
pictures t 

(b) Would you eficotirage or disconrage the use by stu- 
dents of such material } Give reasons of your own as well 
as from Parker's chapter. 



TRAINING IN EXPRESSION EI45 

9. Simplicity and sincerity. — {a) From the standpoint 
of encouraging simplicity and sincerity, and avoiding the 
handing in of copied themes, which of the following ex- 
hibits for imitation would be best ? Why ? 

(i) Examples from Stevenson, Washington Irving, Hawthorne, 
Macaulay, etc. 

(2) A few very superior student themes. 

(3) Numerous short student compositions in their original form, 
varying from fairly good to excellent. 

(b) How would you provide the samples for imitation ? 

10. Models for imitation. — (a) Would the desirability of 
a correct model for imitation rule against method (3) in 
exercise 9 t 

(b) Which does a pupil need most as a model for good 
writing: (i) samples of the process of good writing or 
(2) finished prodiLcts of good writing } (Compare the dis- 
cussion of process and product of reflective thinking de- 
scribed on pages 180-182.) 

(c) How could samples of the process be provided ? 

The Audience 

11. Creatijig audience situations, (a) Specialisation. — 
Discuss the value from the audience standpoint of special- 
ization upon a topic by a student, with several short reports 
distributed at intervals. 

(b) Projects. — Show how such a project as that described 
at the bottom of page 276 is influential in creating an 
audience situation. 

(c) Advertisi7tg. — Discuss the value (from the audience 
standpoint) of having high-school pupils issue a number of 
the high-school paper as a '' booster " advertising number 
for the local community. On page E147 is a sample page 
from a publication prepared by the pupils of Savanna, 111. 

{d) Literacy chib. — Would you use the device described 
in the following paragraph from Miller's " Practical English 



EI 46 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Composition " ? It follows a discussion of Macaulay's expe- 
rience in writing his '' Lays of Ancient Rome." 

" When Macaulay wrote, when anybody writes, he writes for 
an audience. In the approval of an audience lie the reason and 
reward of composition. No man except a blockhead or an angel 
ever wrote except for an audience. In beginning a course in com- 
position, the first thing to do is, therefore, to provide an audience. 
We shall accomplish this by organizing ourselves as a literary club." 

Clear Ideas by the Student 

12. Composition as U^airmig in thinking. — {a) Consider- 
ing composition as providing training in thinking, show 
how most of the processes in effective thinking, summarized 
on pages 199-200, enter mto effective practical composition. 

(6) If possible, rephrase some of these points into the 
parallel rhetorical directiojis used in description, exposition, 
and argumentation. 

13. Scientific method i?i debating. — Recall the five char- 
acteristics of scientific method listed above on page E12. 

(a) Show how numbers 2, 3, and 5 would e^iter into a 
debate of the question. Should capital punishment be 
abolished } 

(b) Why would number i 7iot enter ? 

(c) To what extent would number 4 enter 1 

(d) If in the debate pupils contented themselves with 
presenting such argumxcnts as, ''I would rather be hung 
than spend my life in jail," or ''It is more cruel to hang 
a man than to put him in jail for life," or ''The Bible 
states ' Thou shalt not kill,' " would you consider that they 
were securing good or poor training in thinking.? Why? 

(e) If the situation described in (d) occurred in the de- 
bate, what assignment would you make for the next meeting 
of the class } 

(/) What phase of Parker's chapter other than clear 
thinking does this exercise illustrate .? 



Savanna Education 




The Light 

that never 

fails 



that gave a dull dim glow and was in de- 
mand in ye olden times, was the tallow- 
dip. Years later the candle proved its 
superiority for light producing. Then the 
advent of the kerosene lamp into the 
realm of lighting seemed the culmination 
of illuminating attempts. ^ But, now to- 
day on the market we have the Hght 
of lights, as bright a Hght as any Hght 
will be. ^ It is the Hght we sell. The 
light that never fails. 

Peoples Gas and Electric Co. 



Drawing by Gertrude Bahwell Copy by Isabelle Ulmer 

SAMPLE PAGE FROM STUDENT PAPER 
See exercise 11, (c), p. E145 

E147 



EI48 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

14. Procedure in practical and imaginative writing. — 
(a) Describe the part played by spontaneity^ outlining or 
briefings ^^ rough drafts,'' and revision or ^'tinkering'' in 
each of the following : 

(i) practical descriptive, narrative, expository, and argumenta- 
tive writing ; 

(2) imaginative and poetical writing. (If possible cite examples, 
such as the writing of Gray's " Elegy " and Bryant's " Thanatopsis.") 

(&) What differences and similarities appear between (i) 
and (2) ? 

SAMPLE OF A FIRST ROUGH-DRAFT OUTLINE 

15. Rough drafts. — In actual authorship preliminary 
outlines and rough drafts are often made in very sketchy, 
rough form ; for example, in writing these exercises Parker's 
first plan for possible exercises on the correction of themes 
is shown on this page. In view of this fact, what account 
should teachers take of the process of "rough drafting" in 
student's composition ; for example, 

(a) Should he encourage students to sketch their thoughts 
in hasty abbreviated form on paper with insertions, replace- 
ments, etc. roughly indicated .? Why } 

(b) Should he encourage pupils to show these to him for 
examination or should he require them to be nicely rewritten 
before he takes any account of them ? Why .? 




TRAINING IN EXPRESSION EI49 

(c) Since many students with good capacity for authorship 
detest formal briefing, would you accept from them such 
rough outlines as are described in (a) in lieu of carefully 
written briefs ? Why ? 

Getting Point of View of the Audience 

16. Sclf-conscion-S7iess. — In oral expression does it i7i- 
crease or decrease a student's self-consciousness to suggest 
to him that he keep in mind the point of view of his 
audience ? Explain. 

17. Suitable vocabulary : slang. — (d) In a civics class 
which is discussing socialism would you permit a pupil to 
say, ''The public wouldn't stand for it" or ''They 
could n't get by with it " .? Why } 

(b) Would you take Professor Baker to task for using the 
expression " makes good " in the quotation at the top of 
page 278 of the text.? 

(c) How does the expression " makes good " differ from 
the expression " not stand for " from the standpoint of 
good use ? 

(d) If you permitted the use of some slang by students, 
where would you draw the line in terms of an individual 
student's language habits ; that is, when would you require 
him to substitute good English for slang ? 

Making Corrections 

18. I?i oral expression : correctio7t during or after and 
how? — In a short formal talk a pupil says, "They hadn't 
ought to have burned Joan of Arc." Which of the follow- 
ing Jive forms of correction is best } Why .? 

(i) The teacher stops the pupil and 
{a) has him correct himself, or 

ip) says, " George, say, ' They should not have burned 
Joan of Arc,' " or 



EI so EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(2) After the p2^pil has finished his talk the teacher says, 

(^)" George, what should you say instead of 'hadn't 

ought to ' ? " or 
ip) " Class, what mistakes did George make ? " or 
(r) " George, say, ' They should not have burned Joan of 

Arc.' " 

19. Ujicorrected themes. — Review the suggestion for un- 
corrected themes in paragraph 3 on page 37 of the text. 
Do you think such practice would be at all effective in 
improving the writing of students } (Compare unsupervised 
and uncorrected practice in piano playing, vocal training, 
typewriting, running, swimming, baseball, tennis, etc. and 
reference i on page E197, below, entitled ''English for the 
Hopeless Pupils.") 

20. Assigning themes. — (a) Which of the following 
assignments is better } Why } 

(i) Hand in a story of adventure day after to-morrow ; about 
500 words. 

(2) A week from to-day hand in a short story. Make it a story 
of adventure if you can. Be on the lookout for incidents which 
you might use. Where might you secure suggestions of incidents ? 
Don't make it too long; about two to four theme pages. 

(&) If the second method were adopted, what remarks 
might the teacher make in reference to the assignment at 
intervening class meetings .? 

21. Contribntion recitations. — (a) What chance of success 
would the scheme of contribution recitations (described on 
page 288) have in the hands of an inexperienced, relatively 
untrained teacher } 

(b) In the hands of an experienced teacher ? (Compare 
the discussions at the bottom of page 129 of the text and 
in exercise 6, p. E65, above.) 

22. What nse can I make of this chapter? — Read your 
paper on the assignment made in the exercise book at the 
beginning of this chapter. 



TRAINING IN EXPRESSION E151 

23. Millers directions to pupils. — Show how the follow- 
ing quotation from Miller's '' Practical English Composition " 
parallels and supplements Parker's discussion by labeling 
each point in it as follows : 

with P if it parallels Parker's points ; 

with S if it supplements by adding new points. 

" Composition consists usually of three processes : 
" I. Gathering material, or getting something to say. 
"XL Putting this material together, which involves: (i) ar- 
ranging it ; (2) oral discussion or oral composition ; 
(3) writing; (4) revision. 
" III. Publication, which includes the presentation of the fin- 
ished product to an audience and the reaction of 
that audience. 

" In other words, the student of composition must not make the 
mistake of thinking that composition is merely writing. There are 
seven steps in composition : (i) gathering material ; (2) arrang- 
ing materia] ; (3) oral composition ; (4) writing ; (5) revision ; 
(6) publication ; (7) the reaction (that is, approval or disap- 
proval). Writing is therefore only one of the seven processes 
that compose composition. In relation to the composition as a 
whole it stands in importance about as a postage stamp stands in 
size to the envelope which it carries." 

24. Lezvis and Hosics preface. — Show how the following 
quotation from the preface of Lewis and Hosic's '' Practical 
English for High Schools " parallels and supplements 
Parker's discussion in Chapter XI and other chapters by 
labeling each point in it as follows : 

with P^ p, if it parallels Parker's points, 

indicating after p the parallel page in Parker's text ; 
with ^ if it supplements by adding new points. 

" The authors have observed the following principles : 

" I. That a textbook should be primarily a laboratory guide and 

not a treatise or an encyclopedia. 

" 2. That the most important thing for a pupil to learn is not 

theory but a method of work. 



EI 52 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

"3. That practice in expression has little value unless it grows 
out of a real situation and involves genuine personal experience 
and creative imagination. 

" 4. That both good speech and good writing are matters of 
habit and, therefore, are to be attained by the repetition of activi- 
ties which enlist the interest of the pupil and call out his energies. 

"5. That much of the material in the books now in use in the 
schools is overmature, ambitious, and unrelated to the thoughts 
and lives of young people. 

" 6. That, on the other hand, greater stress should be laid upon 
certain subject matter hitherto almost completely neglected ; for 
example, social letters, business letters, newspapers, and magazines. 

"7. That the best teaching requires a real social situation in the 
classroom, and that earnest cooperative effort, concentrating the 
attention of pupils and teachers on a common problem, is more 
likely to produce correct habits than memory drills or the exaction 
of perfunctory tasks." 

25. Lyman s editorial. — Underline in the following edi- 
torial four important ideas not contained in Parker's chapter, 
and label each ^^ exercise 24 !' 

"WHAT LIES BACK OF CO-OPERATION IN ENGLISH 
"By R. L. Lyman 

''''Language arts versus thought and feeling. — L. H. Jones, super- 
intendent of the Indianapolis schools, in the International Congress 
of Education held in Chicago in 1893, said : 

" Language, writing, and drawing considered in themselves are 
purely arts ; their end is skill, . . . language . . . has no ennobling 
ideas in itself. Only when these branches are used in the expres- 
sion of ideas whose origin is in some other field of thought do they 
become charged in themselves with thought, or feeling, or motive 
so as to become individual factors in spiritual development." 

^^Subordination of grammar. — Here we have the essence of the 
movement which, starting twenty-five years ago, resulted in the 
subordination of formal English grammar to the place of incidental 
study which it occupies to-day. 



TRAINING IN EXPRESSION E153 

"^^ Teach mother-tongue in all subjects. — Moreover, the statement 
of Superintendent Jones may be said to be the basic doctrine of 
the movement, in its incipiency in 19 15, which takes the ground 
that formal classes in English, especially in English composition, 
are occupying altogether too large a place in the program of the 
elementary, and especially in the program of secondary, schools. 
This new idea urges less time for formal English classes, and insists 
upon more and better instruction in the mother-tongue in depart- 
ments other than English. The leaders desire that English com- 
position be taught in all classes, in all school activities at all times, 
by every teacher, both by his example and by careful supervision 
of his pupils' oral and written work. Through these means, all 
teachers are to help establish good language habits. The move- 
ment for correlation with ' other subjects,' as yet in its early stages, 
is most significant. 

''''Language lesso?ts neglect subject-matter of thought. — To put 
this in another light, language lessons were introduced about i860 
to 1870, as a substitute for the unspeakable grind of grammar. 
To-day these language lessons have themselves to face somewhat 
the same criticisms that formal grammar faced twenty-five years 
earlier. Just as the study of grammar, with elaborate formulas of 
parsing, analysis, diagramming and the like, became an end in 
itself and lost whatever educational import it may ever have had, 
so to-day language lessons have become stereotyped, ends in them- 
selves, whose educational value is extremely doubtful. Most Eng- 
lish compositions written for prescribed classes in composition, of 
whatever grade, from elementary school to university, are exercises 
performed mechanically to meet requirement, generally disliked by 
the pupils. They are titterly devoid of the viewpoifit of authorship. 
The pupil's attention is directed not upon the subject-matter of 
his thought, but upon the formal elements of his composition, 
structure, style, and diction. This is not the way to teach pupils 
to write and speak. 

'''Distinguish drill and authorship. — Formal English composi- 
tion courses are drill exercises in the mechanical elements of writ- 
ing or speaking. As such they must always hold a place in the 
curriculum. Drill is absolutely necessary to secure mechanical 
and elementary rhetorical accuracy. The place for such language 



EI 54 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

lessons should be confined to classes in the English department 
frankly given over to formal drill ; but the great bulk of English 
composition ought to be taught in connectio7i with other subjects. 
The geography lesson, the theme in history, the topical recitation 
in civil government — these, and numberless similar occasions fur- 
nish the best practice ground for establishing language habits. As 
Mr. Jones said in 1893, 'In some other field of thought, language 
lessons become charged with feeling or motive.' In these other 
fields we have the viewpoint of authorship — an overwhelming 
interest in the subject-matter, an earnest desire to be ' the servant 
of an idea'; this the pupil of eight or eighteen or twenty-eight 
must have. He must write or speak with his mind centered upon 
the message he wishes to proclaim. 

^"^ Drill ofi method constrains; authorship frees and vitalizes. — 
Language lessons are not a content study ; they are drill exercises 
in the mechanics of grammatical and rhetorical accuracy ; they are 
not fertile fields for practice in writing or speaking. No drill exer- 
cise in which the attention of the performer is centered primarily 
upon method is ever free from constraint. Vital practice in the 
use of the mother-tongue approximates its greatest value when 
the student, having roughly thought out his scheme of procedure, 
breaks free from conscious attention to the mechanical details of 
his. composition, and, wrapped in the relation to each other of the 
ideas he wishes to present, advances freely and fluently toward his 
goal. Then, after the first rough draft of his composition is com- 
pleted, he is in a position to apply himself with intense interest to 
the question of reorganization, to the matter of sentence structure, to 
the proper selection of words. All these duties are motivated by the 
desire to give to his message the most effective vehicle of expression. 

'''^ Authorship attitude essential in life and in school. — This atti- 
tude of authorship is just as essential for effective school exercises 
in composition as it is for the magazine writer, the editor, the 
lawyer. Language habits, both oral and written, exclusive, of 
course, of matters of mere mechanical accuracy, may be cultivated 
by the school, but not primarily in classes devoted solely to formal 
composition. Such is the educational doctrine that lies back of the 
movement for co-operation in teaching English." — School Review, 
January, 19 16, Vol. XXIV, pp. 75-77. 



TRAINING IN EXPRESSION EI55 

Additional Bibliography 

Recent textbooks. — i. Briggs, T. H., and McKinney, I. A 
First Book of Composition for High Schools. (Ginn and Company, 

1913-) 

2. Lewis, W. D., and Hosic, J. F. Practical Ejiglish for High 
Schools. (American Book Company, 19 16.) A manual of assign- 
ments for practice in composition by high-school pupils, with 
necessary related theory. 

3. Miller, E. L. Practical Composition. (Houghton Mifflin 
Company, 1915.) A series of four small handy volumes. Simple 
assignments for high-school pupils by a high-school principal. 

Projects for composition. — 4. Parker, Edith P. A Sixth 
Grade English Unit. Elementary School fournal^ October, 19 14, 
Vol. XV, pp. 82-90. A thorough, practical account of the use 
of the topic " Ships and Ship-building " as the center of a large 
amount of training in expression. 

5. Lally, Eleanor M. A Type Study in English Composition. 
Elementary School fotirnal, May, 19 16, Vol. XVI, pp. 469-474. 
Describes use of " Life-Saving " as a project topic. 

How to train in expression. Notable manuals by high-school 
teachers of English. — 6. Bolenius, Emma Miller. The Teach- 
ing of Oral English. (J. B. Lippincott Company, 19 14.) Very 
practical accounts of what to do and how to do it. Easy, interest- 
ing reading with strong suggestion of actual life in the classroom. 

7. Leonard, S. A. English Composition as a Social Problem. 
(Houghton Mifflin Company, 19 17.) Application of the social 
point of view to methods of teaching composition. 

8. Thomas, C. S. The Teaching of English in Secondary Schools. 
(Houghton Mifflin Company, 19 17.) Many practical suggestions 
in the chapters on composition. 

Suggestions. — 9. Lyman, R. L. Oral English in the High 
School. Quarterly fournal of Public Speakifig, October, 19 15, 
Vol. I, pp. 241-259. Effective practical methods described. Every 
speech to involve some definite investigation. 

English. Journal. — If you would be a progressive teacher 
of expression read the English Journal regularly. 



CHAPTER N 

OUTLINE OF THE SYSTEM : GET THE TRANSITION 

In order to maintain apparent coherence and system the 
class at this point should realize how far they have pro- 
gressed and the transition that is made at the beginning of 
the next chapter. Both of these matters are suggested by 
the following outline, which carries the reader through the 
rest of the book, omitting the chapters on practice teaching 
and observation. The transition is indicated by the topics 
in black type. 

Upon completing the course the student should be able to 
reproduce the outline and express each topic in the form of 
one or more principles of teaching. This system of principles 
should serve him permanently as a guide in his teaching. 

MAIN TOPICS 

I. Science versus opinion 
II. Broadening purposes 

III. Economy in classroom management 

IV. Selection and arrangement of subject matter 

(i) Social needs 

(2) Relative values 

(3) Intensive treatment 

(4) Psychological arrangement 
V. Learning processes 



(i) Special types 
of learning 



{a) Motor jj^^„ 
{b) Association J 

(.) Reflective | Problem-solving 
^ ^ (^Abstractions 

(d) Enjoyment 
^{e) Expression 
EI 56 



OUTLINE OF THE SYSTEM 



EI57 



(2) General aspects 
of learning 


' (a) Self-activity 
(d) Apperception 
(c) Age influences 

(d) Interest for economy 

(e) Differences in capacity 
(/) Supervised study 


VI. Sources of subject matter 
(i) Books 

(2) Conversations 

(3) Laboratory 

/I I. Questioning and testing 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XII 

SELF-ACTIVITY AND APPERCEPTION 

Transition to general aspects of learning. — As suggested 
in the outline on page E156, above, this chapter makes the 
transition to the discussion of certain general aspects of 
learning as contrasted with the special types of learning dis- 
cussed in the preceding chapters. The first of these general 
aspects to be emphasized is the fact that a student is 
educated by his own responses or activity ; in other words, 
by his self -activity. In the second part of the chapter the 
principle of apperception is emphasized. 

Self-activity 

1. Pnpils studying together. — Should pupils prepare their 
lessons together .? Why .? (Consider such matters as specific 
self-activity desired, personal dominance, personal stimulus, 
the way expression clarifies one's thinking, social interests 
appealed to, etc.) 

2. Parental assistance. — Evaluate ordinary parental as- 
sistance of pupils from the standpoint of the principle of 
self -activity. 

3. Types of mental respojise. — (a) In the portion of a high- 
school history lesson printed below, which of the following 
types of mental response by the pupils 2X^ prominent} 

(i) Enjoyment (6) Abstraction 

(2) Memory (7) Motor skill 

(3) Reflective thinking (8) Associating symbols and 

(4) Analysis meanings 

(5) Comparison (9) Expression 

EI 58 



SELF-ACTIVITY AND APPERCEPTION E159 

(b) Make a memorandum on the margin of the place 
where each type enters, using the first syllables, as En. for 
enjoyment, etc. 

Read the lesson out loud in order to get the full effect 
of the remarks by teacher and pupils. 

PORTION OF A LESSON ON MINOS 

Class : Second- Year High-School Greek History 

{Stenographic report of the actual class dialogue^ 

(i) Teacher. The notes on Gnossus we didnH quite complete. 
There is one topic left — protection. If you will turn to your 7iotes^ 
I ivill read to you. Keep close track of it and put down the impor- 
tant facts. For the benefit of the visitors, I will say that this is from 
" The Sea Kings of Crete,'' by faines Baikie, which is a populariza- 
tion of the i'es2ilts of the excavations in . Crete. 
(Reads passage about protection.) 

(2) T. fi^st indicate that in your notes. 
(Class writes.) 

(3) T. Ivan, will you read what you have? 

Pupil. The entrance passage to the stone gangway was but 
very poor defense — was small and insignificant and could scarcely 
have withheld an attack. 

(4) (T. reads the same passage again.) 

Now you may add a^iything that you want to to your 
notes. 

(5) T. How would you compare the palace of Tiryns with the 
palace of Gnossus along this line ? 

P. Well, it didn't have much protection, while the palace 
of Tiryns was protected by great thick stone walls. 

(6) T. Yes, very thick stone walls. There must have bee7i some 
reason for this differejice. Can you account for the difference in 
any way ? 

P. I think maybe the king and queen thought to protect 
their city by boats. 

(7) T. Yes, by a fleet. What would that indicate about the 
power of Minos 1 

P. That it lay in the navy. 



Ei6o EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(8) T. In the navy. What do you think about the other kings 
in the interior of Tiryns ? 

P. I think they had just an army, 

(9) T. Just an army. Would there be more danger of attack in 
those cases., do you think ? 

P. Yes, I think there would. 

(10) T. Explain why there would be more danger in the case 
of Gnossus. 

P. Because the ships could lie in the harbor and wait for 
pirates or other fleets, and at Tiryns they could n't do that. 

(11) T. Yes., not quite., though. Do you think the attack would 
come from the sea in Tiryns and Mycence ? 

P. I don't think that there would be any but sea fighting 
in Crete. They would have to come from the sea. 

(12) T. You think there were no enemies practical on land 2 
What would that indicate about the power of Minos over Crete ? 

P. He was a very just and good king and all his people 
were contented. 

(13) T. What do you suppose the power of Minos was in 
Gnossus ? 

P. Well, I think he was king of his own city state, and I 
think he wanted to work to gain control of the other city states. 

(14) T. £)o you stippose he brought them into sufficient subjection 
so that he didnH 7ieed to fear them and the only attack he needed to 
fear was from the sea., whei'eas the opposite was the case on land 2 
Turn to the red book. Thucydides was a great historian and wrote 
about 400 B. C. At the beginni^ig of his history he tells what he 
knows about it. He says after he gets through with it there is very 
little of it that he is sure about ; most of it is legendary. Even at 
that early date historians had begun to be skeptical about legends. 
Turn to page 4; will you read., beginnifzg at the top of section 4 ? 

(Reads passage describing the sea power of Minos and 
the state of piracy that existed in his time.) 

(15) T. That is a very interesting passage. It says a good deal 
about Minos and quite a bit about the danger that might come to 
Gnossus. What would it indicate along that line 1 What would 
be the source of dangers to Gnossus — the pirates ? 

P. Just the pirates. 



SELF- ACTIVITY AND APPERCEPTION ei6i 

(i6) T. Would other cities along the yEgean have the same 
danger^ do you thijik ? 
P. Yes. 

(17) T. What was the service of Minos to these y^gean cities ? 
P. Protection. Protected them from the pirates with 

his navy. 

(18) T. V/hy did he do it? He must have beeii a missio7iary. 
P. Well, he wanted the cities round about sort of looking 

up to him, sort of tributary. 

(19) T. But they did pay tribute. Hei'e we find this brutal 
man that was called half man, half beast, protecting the cities of 
the yEgean from pirates. It does n^t seem in accord with what we 
7'ead of him yesterday. 

P. He didn't want the other cities plundered because 
then they would n't pay tribute. 

(20) T. What was the tribute that they had to pay ? the tribute 
Athens had to pay ? 

P. People, seven girls and seven boys. 

(21) T. That brijigs out the brutal part of Miiios. He exacted 
a very human tribute, something as the Phxniciaiis , as you remem- 
ber, sacrificed childre7i to one of their gods. So Mi?ios demands a 
tribute to the god of commerce. Have you noticed how commerce does 
demand as its victims human victims 1 That is the bad side of com- 
merce. See it in our country every day. Think of the number of itien 
killed every day by railroad trains. That is the brute side of Minos ; 
the other side comes out here. Can you explain it. Miss Blank ? I 
donH know whether you get the point. Why did he protect the cities ? 

What is the 7nain reason of Minos 1 Anyone 1 

P. I just think that he wanted to exterminate the pirates 
to protect his own city and incidentally protect the others. 

(22) T. fust incidentally protected the others. He gets no credit, 
then, for protecting the others. That may be true. It was a great 
service to them, though, and so they looked upon it as a service to 
them a?id would in a way glorify Minos. We will return to that 
at the e7id of the hour, possibly. 



Ei62 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Pupil Activity versus Teacher Activity 

Many supervisors and observers of teaching judge a reci- 
tation by the relative amount of teacher activity and pupil 
activity (self-active responses by pupils). 

4. Objective standard. — (a) What objective standard 
could you use to determine the relative amount of teacher 
activity and pupil activity in a lesson ? 

(6) What limitations or inadequacies would there be in 
the use of this standard ? 

. 5. Evaluate history lesson. — {a) Evaluate the portion of 
the "Minos" lesson quoted above from the standpoint of 
the relative amount of teacher activity and pupil activity. 

(&) Does your objective standard devised in exercise 4 
give the same result as a more informal inspection of the 
lesson ? 

6. Evahcate participle lesson. — Evaluate the lesson on 
participles quoted above, on pages E104-EI14, in the man- 
ner directed in exercise 5. 

7. Self -evaluation. — (a) If you were teaching, how could 
you determine whether your instruction was of the type 
described in the quotation below ? 

(&) What practical device could you adopt to remedy 
your faults, if you found any ? 

" After reading the Stenographic Lesson Reports published in 
the Teachers College Record, September, 19 10, the principal of a 
city school wrote me that he was prompted to a tour of inspection 
in his school to see if his teachers were doing the large amount of 
work that seemed to characterize teacher activity in the Reports. 
By a random estimate he placed the percentage of teacher activity 
at 85 per cent, 95 per cent, and in a few instances 100 per cent 
(where he found teachers lecturing). His investigation brought 
him promptly to the conclusion that the reason why our pupils 
gain so little in intellectual power is because our teachers do 
the intellectual work." — Romiett Stevens, ''The Question in 
Instruction " 



SELF- ACTIVITY AND APPERCEPTION E163 

8. Criticize literattLve lesson. — (a) In the light of the 
preceding exercises criticize the following excerpt from an 
actual lesson on " The Lady of the Lake." 

(6) Criticize it from the standpoint of Lyman's editorial 
given above on pages E152-E154. 

PORTION OF A LESSON ON "THE LADY OF THE LAKE"i 

{Stenographic report of the actual class dialogue^ 

(i) Teacher. How much is description used in the story ^ 
Mr. T.? Is there very much ? 
Mr. T. Quite a little. 

(2) T. For what did it seem to be put in ? 

Pupil. I think one place the Canto starts very quietly, 
and then the clan, gathered in the fiercest preparation, terrible 
oaths, shows contrasts. 

(3) T. Is it put in the?i, Just as a scene ^ or for some distinct 
purpose ? 

P. Distinct purpose. 

(4) T. A7id in this case it was ? 
P. Contrast. 

(5) T. What other descriptions ? a 
P. Nature. 

(6) T. Very much space takefi up with descriptions of nature ? 
P. Yes. 

(7) T. Have you a pixtty fair idea of the cotmtry ? 
P. Yes. 

(8) T. Better from the poem than f'om pictures^ I think. 
JVhy, Miss P., is as ?nuch space given to the description aiid country 1 

Miss P. I think it would be necessary, especially when 
warfare is going on. 

(9) T. Kind of thing that happejis, depend on country ? 
1ST P. Entirely. 

2D P. Scott was a lover of nature. 
(10) T. For itself? 
P. Yes. 

1 Reported in Romiett Stevens's " The Question in Instruction," p. 41. 



Ei64 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(it) T. Do you think the descriptions show a familiarity with 
the country ? 

P. Yes. 

(12) T. What makes you think so ? 
P. The names are correct. 

(13) T. That is true. 

P. He has the location of very small matters that others 
who are not familiar would not have. 

(14) T. Something more ? v 

P. He seems to know how far it is from one place to 
another. 

(15) T. Geography. Something morel Superstition used much 
in this story ? 

P. Yes. 

(16) T. Where and how, Miss W.? 

Miss W. A great deal of prophecy ; whether they should 
go out to battle was decided by superstitious means. 

9. Teacher dominance. — (a) In a problem-solving lesson 
is it necessary that the children solve every phase of the 
problem in order to have a worth-while amount of pupil 
self -activity } Explain. 

(&) In terms of the summary of problem-solving activity 
on pages 199-200 how mitch shotild the teacher dominate 
such a lesson 1 

(c) Would the amount of teacher dominance be the same 
or more or less in a lesson for ejijoyment ? Explain. 

(d) In a drill or practice lesson.? (Compare exercise 18 
in the chapter on Expression, p. E149.) 

(e) Summarize the relative amounts of teacher -dominance 
in drill, enjoyment, and problem-solving lessons. 

Apperception 

10. Varied interpretations. — Describe and explain in 
terms of varied past experiences the different interpreta- 
tions suggested below for the proverb, " A bird in the hand 
is worth two in the bush." 



SELF-ACTIVITY AND APPERCEPTION E165 

(1) The interpretation by the author of the proverb. 

(2) The interpretation by a first-year high-school girl who 
learned it, '' A bird in the bush is worth two in the hand," and 
thought this was what was meant, 

(3) The interpretation by a modem scientific agriculturalist or 
a horticulturalist. 

(4) The following interpretation by George Ade : 

" The most helpful advice for young people is condensed into 
morals, maxims and proverbs. A bird i?i the hand is woiih two i7i 
the bush. Great stuff ! If you had a bird in the hand you would n't 
know what to do with it. Besides, with two in the bush you 're 
liable, with any kind of luck, to have a lot more birds after a while." 

Empty Words versus Correct Responses 

11. Verbal definitions. — Definitions furnish many exam- 
ples of the learning of words without meanings. Examine 
the latter part of the lesson On participles given above on 
pages E104-EI14, and show 

(a) whether it provides for self-activity in the making of 
the definition or not ; 

(6) whether it avoids meaningless verbalism or not, 

12. Ill-adapted material. — Indicate which of the fol- 
lowing are ill-adapted to high-school pupils. Explain. 

(i) Assigning a paper on the character of Lady Macbeth to 
second-year high-school pupils. 

(2) Explanatory note in a literary classic: ^^ Prodigious — 
grown portentous." 

(3) " Name all the things that you can think of in ' Marmion ' 
that are characteristic of the Middle Ages " — for third-year high- 
school pupils. 

(4) '' Yet this enigmatic speech, with its under-senses and its 
ironies, is after all appropriate to the half-lights, the elemental 
problems of the theme which is set forth," — for fourth-year 
high-school pupils. 

(5) "Do you think Marmion was a true knight ? " — for third- 
year high-school pupils. 



EI 66 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

13. Parker s violation. — (a) How does Parker's use of 
examples from golf in this exercise book violate the princi- 
ple of apperception ? 

(6) How does he avoid this violation in exercise 9, page 
E 1 2 1 , above ? 

14. Geography : order of topics. — From the standpoint 
of the principle of apperception, which is the better arrange- 
ment in teaching geography to first-year high-school classes, 
the following order or its reverse ? Why ? 

(i) Astronomical and mathematical geography. 

(2) Surface features, land and water, elevation, erosion, the 
atmosphere, etc. 

(3) Fauna, flora, etc. 

(4) Social geography, food supply, manufacture, trade, trans- 
portation, etc. 

15. Geography data. — Why are the following data ill- 
adapted to give students an idea of the growth of Minneapolis ? 

"In 187 1 only two car-loads of wheat were received in Minne- 
apolis. In 1887 the Great Western road alone brought 33,000,000 
bushels of wheat to the elevators at Minneapolis. In 1896, 250,000 
barrels of flour were ground in a single week." 

16. History and cn^^rent events. — (a) From the stand- 
point of apperception, what is the advantage of connecting 
historical discussions with current events ; for example, par- 
alleling the French Revolution with the Russian Revolution 
in 191 7; examining present examples of the states-rights 
attitude when discussing the Civil War ? 

(&) History students may test their grasp of history and 
of current events by citing other parallel examples. 

17. Mathematical biography. — While reading the life of 
Pascal reprinted below from a high-school text in first-year 
mathematics, label each statement as follows : 

With A if adapted to the understanding of first-year students. 
With / if ill-adapted or i?tcomprehensible to such students. 



SELF-ACTIVITY AND APPERCEPTION E167 

" Blaise Pascal, a natural but somewhat erratic genius, was 
born at Clermont, France, on June 19, 1623, and died at Paris, 
August 19, 1662. He had displayed exceptional ability by the 
age of eight, and, despite the discouragements of his father and 
his teacher, became greatly interested in geometry at twelve years 
of age. Deprived of books on geometry, he discovered for him- 
self many of the properties of figures. Seeing the boy's determi- 
nation to study geometry, his father gave him a copy of Euclid's 
Elements, which he mastered in a few weeks. 

" At the age of fourteen Pascal was admitted to the weekly scien- 
tific meetings of the French geometricians ; at sixteen he wrote an 
essay of marked originality on conic sections, and at eighteen 
he constructed an important calculating machine. Thereafter he 
studied for a time experimental science, then religion, then returned 
again to mathematics. He formulated a new theorem of conies, 
still known as " Pascal's theorem," and invented and employed his 
arithmetical triangle for figurate numbers from which the coeffi- 
cients of the expansion of a binomial are obtained. He laid down 
the foundations of the theory of probability, did much work on 
the cycloid, and exerted himself on the theory of indivisibles. He 
is said to have worn himself out completely through excessive hard 
work, so that he died of old age at the age of thirty-nine. See an 
account of his life and work in some history of mathematics." 

18. Lewis and Hosics preface. — Which paragraphs in 
the quotation from Lewis and Hosic's '' Practical English," 
given above on pages E151-E152, illustrate the principle of 
apperception } How } 

19. Cheyneys preface. — (a) Show how the quotation 
given below from the preface of Cheyney's " Short History 
of England" illustrates the principle of apperception. 

(&) What name do we commonly give to the tendency of 
authors which Cheyney suggests in his first statement that 
he specifically avoids 1 

" Finally, I have omitted altogether statements and allusions the 
significance of which could not be explained in the book ; and have 
tried, on the other hand, to give a clear and adequate explanation 







a ON 
O oj u 

1-1 y 



.5 <u 



EI 68 



SELF-ACTIVITY AND APPERCEPTION EI69 

of all matters that have been taken up. It is true that this prac- 
tice may seem to disregard the teacher, who would presumably 
be competent to explain those things to which the author alludes 
and to interpret what he merely states. On the other hand, the 
student must usually deal with the text-book when he is alone, 
and may be glad to have everything clear at first ; while the well- 
qualified teacher will find a more useful and interesting function in 
testing comprehension, providing further illustrations, drawing out 
international relations, and adding personal details to the necessarily 
general statements of the text-book." 

20. Pictures for ideas. — id) What historical ideas would 
be impressed upon a high-school pupil by study of the picture 
of Napoleon on page E168 ? 

(&) Why are the cartoons of Napoleon on pages E170 and 
EI 7 1 more effective in historical teaching than the picture 
on page E168 ? Give several reasons. 

(c) In the picture of the Taj Mahal, on page E173, which 
is more effective for historical teaching, the picture itself or 
the descriptive paragraph under it ? Explain. Would either 
be effective without the other } 

{d) Summarize your conclusions from this exercise con- 
cerning- the most effective use of pictures in teaching 
history. 

Preparation 

Putting Pupils in the Proper Frame of Mind 

21. Participle lesson. — (a) In the participle lesson, on 
pages E104-EI 14, above, indicate how far the step or process 
of preparation extends. 

(&) Describe the several distinct phases of the step or 
process in this lesson, pointing out specifically where each 
phase occurs. 

(c) State the reason, necessity, or desirability for providing 
each of these phases. 




EI70 




Ely] 



EI 72 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

22. For a current poem. — (a) In reading to a class the 
following poem from the Literary Digest of May 19, 19 17, 
what preparatory remarks or questions would you use ? 

THE GOLDFINCH 

By Odell Shepard 

Down from the sky on a sudden he drops 
Into the mullen and juniper-tops, 
Flushed from his bath in the midsummer shine 
Flooding the meadow-land, drunk with the wine 
Spilled from the urns of the blue, like a bold 
Sky-buccaneer in his sable and gold. 

Lightly he sways on the pendulous stem, 
Vividly restless, a fluttering gem. 
Then with a flash of bewildering wings 
Dazzles away up and down, and he sings 
Clear as a bell at each dip as he flies 
Bounding along on the wave of the skies. 

Sunlight and laughter, a winged desire. 
Motion and melody married to fire. 
Lighter than thistle-tuft borne on the wind, 
Frailer than violets, how shall we find 
Words that will match him, discover a name 
Meet for this marvel, this lyrical flame 1 

How shall we fashion a rhythm to wing with him. 
Find us a wonderful music to sing with him. 
Fine as his rapture is, free as the rollicking 
Song that the harlequin drops in his frolicking 
Dance through the summer sky, singing so merrily 
High in the burning blue, winging so airily ? 

(&) Would you use in your preparatory step the following 
editorial comment by which the poem is preceded in the 
Digest} Why.? 



SELF-ACTIVITY AND APPERCEPTION El 73 

'' There are many beautiful things in Odell Shepard's ' A 
Lonely Flute ' (Houghton Mifflin Company) — high imagination, 
rich color, noble emotion. Mr. Shepard is particularly successful 
when he writes of nature, as in this vivid and flashing sketch." 

(c) What suggested the phrase '' on the wave of the 
skies " to the poet ? (Compare the flight of the flicker.) 

(d) How do the class answers to this exercise illustrate 
the principle of apperception ? 




THE TAJ MAHAL 

This mausoleum of an emperor was built at Agra, India, in 1652. It has been described 
as " the most splendidly poetic building in the world ... a dream in marble, which 
justifies the saying that the Moguls designed like Titans but finished like jewelers." 
The entire building is of white marble, inlaid with precious stones. Although this is 
regarded as the most perfect monument, India has many others of great mag- 
nificence, witnesses of the power and wealth of her princes. From " Robinson's 
Medieval and Modern Times." (See exercise 20, (c), p. E169) 

23. For a ti^agedy. — Would the second sentence on 
page 311 apply in case a tragedy is being read? Explain. 

24. Parker s devices. — Point out the devices that Parker 
uses in the text and exercise book to put pupils in the 
proper frame of mind. 



EI 74 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

25. Teachers emotional to7ie. — Since the teacher's own 
emotional tone is a large factor in determining the emotional 
tone of the class, check those of the following practices which 
you would use in order to preserve a proper emotional tone 
as a teacher. Explain your choice. 

(i) Read {a) the Bible \^{U) Emerson's Essays ; {c) the " Con- 
solations of Philosophy," by Boethius ; (^) James's chapters en- 
titled "The Gospel of Relaxation" and "A Certain Blindness in 
Human Beings." 

(2) Go to church. 

(3) Play cards. 

(4) Reduce the written work for pupils. 

(5) Go to movies frequently. 

(6) Exercise (probably walking) two hours a day outdoors as 
recommended by specialists in nervous diseases. 

(7) Sleep eight hours or more each night. 

(8) Teach a Sunday-school class. 

(9) Attend student affairs. 

(10) Read (a) fascinating fiction; (b) current humor, cartoons, 
etc. ; (c) Booth Tarkington's " Seventeen." 

(11) Work only eight hours a day. 

(12) " Go into the silence." 

(13) Take advantage of every opportunity to make a speech. 

(14) Try to secure a specialized program of teaching. 

(15) Keep pupils after school. 

(16) Use your vacations for studying. 

(17) Use your vacations for outdoor recreation and geograph- 
ical isolation from your teaching. 

Additional Bibliography 

James, William. Talks to Teachers. (Henry Holt and Co., 
1899.) The chapters entitled "The Gospel of Relaxation" and "A 
Certain Blindness in Human Beings " are helpful, readable essays 
on the teacher's emotional tone and on getting the point of view of 
others, by America's greatest psychologist, a master of English style. 

Read ''The Last Word" (see pp. E251-E257, below). 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XIII 

INFLUENCE OF AGE ON LEARNING ^ 

To correct complacent dogmatism. — The purpose of this 
chapter is to correct the easy, complacent dogmatism by 
which many persons settle questions of method by simply 
saying that such and such types of learning are not suited 
to children of certain ages. A rapid reading of the chapter 
should suffice to substitute for this dogmatism an open- 
minded regard for the problems involved and the evidence 
available for solving them. Detailed mastery of the argu- 
ments presented in the text is not important with under- 
graduates. Hence only a few exercises are provided to 
furnish material for a brief discussion. A few of the 
questions are mere memory questions, but they require a 
careful selective reading of the chapter. 

Read the chapter 7'apidly in about fifty mhiutes. 

1. Ages compared. — What ages does Parker compare in 
discussing the influence of age on learning 1 

2. Opinion verstcs science. — For which types of learning 
does he present measured objective evidence and for which 
types mere opinion } 

3. Similar argument ; motor and vocabnlary. — What is 
the chief point or argument that Parker presents in discuss- 
ing the influence of age on both motor skill and learning 
a foreign vocabulary ; that is, which general point appears 
in both cases } 

4. Social futility of foreign languages. — (a) Do Parker's 
arguments concerning the futility of having most American 
high-school pupils study a foreign language convince you ? 

1 Omit this chapter in a short course. 
EI75 



EI 76 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(b) If not, why not ? 

(c) If they do, what should the high schools do about 
the matter ? (Remember the large amount of time given 
to foreign languages and the lack of suitable ready-made 
material in other subjects.) 

5. Reasoning abilities. — (a) Of the several arguments 
concerning reasoning abilities which Parker presents, which 
impressed you as most unusual or interesting ? Why ? 

(h) Which is most scientific ? Why ? 

6. Instincts in enjoyment. — (a) What two persistent in- 
stincts does Parker discuss in this chapter in connection 
with enjoyment ? 

(&) From the list of instincts given, on page E177, pick 
out two other instincts which play a very large part in the 
enjoyment of most persons at all ages below thirty. 

7. Resulting frame of mind. — In what frame of mind 
does Parker's chapter leave you: confused, convinced, 
puzzled, argumentative, indifferent, interested, desirous of 
reading further discussions (on what topics) ? 

8. Continue the game. — If interested, begin the game of 
making a list of all the examples you can find of striking 
successes of m,atiLre beginners ; for example, individuals who 
have learned a foreign language or acquired skill in some 
game easily after twenty-five years of age. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XIV 



INTERESTS, THE BASIS OF ECONOMY IN LEARNING 



Subdivisions. — This chapter contains the following : 

I. Geiieral argument for utilizing pupils' active, spontane- 
ous interests as a means of securing attention and effort ; 

II. Suggestions for the practical utilizatio7i of certain 
specific instinctive te7tdencies and interests. The list of 
instincts given in the book includes the following : 



(i) Fear of pain 


(6) Collecting 


(2) Fear of sarcasm 


(7) Manipulation 


(3) Individual emulation 


(8) Physical activity 


(4) Mental activity 


(9) Communication 


(5) Curiosity 


(10) Cooperation 



Additional instinctive tendencies. — To this list may be 
added the following instinctive tende7icies to actiofi or 
instinctive interests for purposes of discussion. 



(11) Romance 


(22) Ownership, and interest 


(12) Adventure 


in one's own affairs 


(13) Courage 


(23) Barter and exchange 


(14) Love of animals 


(24) Making a living 


(15) Love of outdoors 


(25) Sociability 


(16) "Wanderlust"; explora- 


(26) Desire for social approval 


tion and travel 


(27) Interest in opposite sex 


(17) Rhythm 


(28) Showing off 


(18) Dramatic 


(29) Leadership 


(19) Humor 


(30) Pugnacity 


(20) In drawing 


(31) Sympathy 


(21) In mechanical contriv- 


(32) Affection 


ances 


(33) Love of children 




(34) Imitation and suggestion 



EI77 



Ei;8 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Three occasions for considering interests. — The occasions 
or opportunities for interest in school may be classified as 
follows : 

(i) Selecting interesting subject matter. 

(2) Making assignments for study so as to arouse interest. 

(3) Conducting interesting recitations. 

These distinctions will be utilized in the exercises. 

Entertainment, Interest, Drudgery, Remote Ends 

1. Active iftterests versics entertainment. — (a) What is 
the difference between '' utilizing pupils' active interests " 
and '' entertaining or amusing pupils " 1 

(b) How does the end of the paragraph at the top of 
P^ge 338 help in answering (a) } 

2. Wage-earners drudgery. — Are not the opportunities 
for achievement in the life of the ordinary wage-earner or 
housekeeper so meager that the iitterest theory of life's 
activities presented on page 339 would not apply to the 
education of such persons } Explain. 

3. Vocational versus playful interests. — (a) In the list 
of instinctive interests given above, label such as can be 
easily determined as follows : 

With V\i primarily vocational. 
With P if primarily playful. 

Count up your V's and P's and state the result. 

(&) Which list would seem to present the largest possi- 
bilities from the standpoint of utilizing pupils' instinctive 
interests .? 

(c) Is there any fallacy in this exercise ? 

4. Vocational goal versus present interests. — In three 
large Iowa high schools the following vocational choices 
appeared with others in lesser degree : 

Boys. Engineering, 94; farming, 34; business, 33- 
Girls. Teaching, 261 ; office work, 85 ; nursing, 24. 



INTERESTS AND ECONOMY IN LEARNING E179 

Which of the following has the greater motive force in 
the case of such pupils in their daily school zuoi^k ? 

(i) Such thoughts as ''I am going to be a farmer," " I am 
going to be a teacher," " I am going to be a nurse," or 

(2) such ever-present instinctive interests as numbers 3, 4, 5, 
6, 7, 8, and 9 given in the list on page E177. 

5. Effectiveness of remote ends. — (a) In general can the 
high-school student's interest in some remote achievement, 
such as success in life or in some vocation, be relied on 
as the fundamental basis for interesting him in attending 
high school} 

(b) Can it be relied on for attentive effort in getting daily 
lessons in algebra, history, commercial arithmetic, etc. ? 

6. distinctive basis of interest in difficult tasks. — Which 
of the instinctive tendencies listed above is at the basis of 
the interest in difficidt undertakings described on page 340 
of the text ? 

Spontaneous, Forced, and Divided Attention 

7. Varieties of divided atte^ition. — id) Is the type of 
divided attention described in the following paragraph as 
bad as the divided attention that results from the use of fear 
of punishment or fear of sarcasm and ridicule, described on 
pages 348-349 i* Why ? 

" Many a class sits entranced as the teacher shows them 
pictures — they are thoroughly interested and attentive — but they 
have no interest whatever in the principle or fact which the 
pictures are to illustrate. A lecturer can always get interest by 
telling funny stories, but again and again he will find that the real 
content of his lecture has been entirely neglected. Too often the 
picture, the story, the specimen or the experiment removes as much 
interest from the lesson itself by distracting the pupil as it adds by 
its concreteness, life and action. It is never enough to keep a class 
interested. They must be interested in the right thing." — E. L. 
Thorndike, " Principles of Teaching," p. 58 



El8o EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(b) Upon what occasions would you consider the devices 
described in the quoted paragraph to be especially helpful 
instead of harmful ? 

Interest in Subject Matter, Assignments, and 
Recitations 

8. Opporttmities in various subjects. — (a) In which of 
the three items in the above heading has the teacher of 
geometiy the greatest freedom of opportunity for making 
the instruction interesting ? Why ? 

(&) Compare the opportunities of the teacher of history ; 
of literature. 

Interesting Subject Matter 

9. Review. — Review the following in order to get in 
mind the previous discussions of selecting interesting subject 
matter. 

hi the text: pages 78-93, 273-276. 
In the exercise book: pages E48-E50. 

10. Instinctive interests in subjects. — After each of the 
instinctive tendencies listed above (from (4) to (34) inclusive) 
write the abbreviations for one subject — Hist., Lat., Math., 
Geog., Chem., Dom. Sci., etc. — in which it may be made 
the basis of interest. 

Interesting Assignments 

11. Instinctive basis. — Select three of the instinctive 
tendencies which are especially important to consider in 
making assignments, and explain their use. 

Interesting Recitations 

12. Analyze lessons. — The lessons on work (pp. EI02- 
E103), OTi participles (pp. E104-EI14), and on '' Marmion" 
(pp. E131-E136) should exhibit all of the factors which 
aroused interest in them other than the teacher's personality. 



INTERESTS AND ECONOMY IN LEARNING ei8i 

(a) Point out the reasons or bases for interest in eacA 
lesson, indicating to which instinctive tendencies it appeals. 
Fill in the following blanks : 

JVor^ lesson appeals to these instincts : 

Pariidple lesson appeals to 

Marmion lesson appeals to . 

(&) Summarize the reasons for interest common to all 
three lessons. 

Teacher's Personality 

13. Vitality, energy, ''pep.'' — {a) Show how abundant 
physical vitality of the teacher may contribute interest to 
recitations. 

{h) Describe means of cultivating vitality by reference to 
exercise 25 on page E174, and ''The Last Word," pp. E251- 
E257, below. 

14. Enthnsiasm. — Decide what you mean by enthusiasm 
and then suggest possibilities and limitations of cultivating 
an enthusiastic teacher-personality under the following 
headings : 

(a) As a matter of gejieral emotional tojte. 

{b) As a product of intensive specialization on a subject; 
for example, ancient history, botany : advantages and dangers. 

(c) As a series of sta7idardized '' sttmts'' like those of 
an actor or orator ; consider their effectiveness, sincerity, 
and monotony. 

15. Informality. — {a) Does the fact that informal reci- 
tations seem more lively and entertaining indicate neces- 
sarily superior interest if we conceive of interest as an 
active reachijig out after more of the subject t Explain. 

(&) Try to formulate a statement of the amount of infor- 
mality and formality desirable in order to achieve ( i ) interest, 
(2) definite progress in the subject, (3) maintenance of 
authority. (Compare exercise 15, p. E32, on the Jesuit 
method.) 



EI 82 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

"» ■'. 

16. Personal touch m teaching. — (a) What does the 
topic of this exercise mean to you ? 

(&) How can a teacher use it as the basis of interest if 
he is teaching one hundred a7id fifty pupils daily ? 

(c) Should he specialize his energy and time for personal 
touch upon those who need it most ? 

(yd) Who would need it most ? 

Specific Instincts 

17. Emulation. — Explain your answers to each of the 
following : 

(a) Do you consider all emulation vicious ? 

(&) Should society dispense with it ? 

(c) Can society get rid of it ? 

{d) Will socialism eradicate it ? 

(e) Will socialism so reduce its operation as to decrease 
social progress ? 

(/) How does Parker's discussion on page 345 assist in 
answering this exercise ? 

18. Commtmication versus expression. — (a) Which ^ is 
more helpful in thinking of interest in recitations, to think 
of (i) the instinct of communication or (2) the instinct of 
expression ? Why ? 

(&) Would a memory recitation of matter studied by all 
pupils in a textbook involve communication 1 
(c) Would it involve expression ? 

19. Curiosity. — Does the utilization of curiosity during 
recitations necessarily mean using very strange, unusual 
examples ? Explain. 

20. Collecting. — Pupils in good elementary schools make 
their own loose-leaf manila-paper notebooks and paste up 
hundreds of pictures, poems, notes on current events, etc. 
collected from various sources including current magazines, 
railroad offices, steamship lines, and government bulletins. 



INTERESTS AND ECONOMY IN LEARNING E183 

(a) Why don't high-school classes follow this practice 
more frequently ? 

(b) Describe two collections that might be made in this 
way in high-school subjects, giving topic, materials to be 
collected, and sources. 




LEgoN 6 

; r Ordres 

Prenez iin bonbon ; dites me7'ci. 
Riez ; ne riez pas ; ne causez pas. 
Ne cessez pas ; coittinuez. — From Gourio, 
frangais." See exercise 24, (6), p. E184. 



" La Classe en 



21. Hzmtor. — (a) A teacher of French in teaching the 
form of negative expressions by the direct method used 
such absurd examples as, ''I do not dance with my head," 
'' I do not think with my feet." Do you think this is a statable 
and effective form of humor for high-school classes } Why .? 

ip) Yiov^ frequent and how contimwtis should the humor- 
ous spirit be in a recitation in .geometry .? in French } in 
English composition .? 



EI 84 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(c) Is Parker's use of Taylor's poem in exercise 8, on 
page EI 20, above, justified? Why? 

(d) Should a teacher become ambitious to be known as 
a wit? Why? 

(e) Summarize the outcome of the discussion of this 
exercise. 

22.^ Interest in marks. — (a) Name three instincts which 
lead pupils to desire to know their marks. 
(&) Which of these are reprehensible ? 

23. Pictures for interest. — (a) To what instinct does the 
picture on page e 1 8 5 appeal ? 

(&) Would this picture be useful to accompany a story in 
reading a foreign language ? Why ? 

Interest in Various Subjects 

24. Foreign language. — (a) To which instinctive inter- 
ests (see list on page e 177) would the Gouin method 
described on pages 130-134 appeal to which a grammar- 
translation method would fzot appeal ? 

(&) To what instinctive interest do the picture and lesson 
in French on page E183 appeal ? 

(c) Do you consider the type of material noted in (&) 
especially suited to first-year high-school pupils ? Explain. 

25. Miscellaneous devices. — (a) In the list of devices 
given below and on page E187 check those which you 
would use occasionally in securing interest in the subject 
or subjects which you plan to teach. 

ip) Describe how you would use them. 

(i) Exhibits (5) Songs 

(2) Calendar of school (6) Games like authors 

events (7) Jingle rimes 

(3) Clubs (8) Easy supplementary read- 

(4) Plays ; dramatization ing 

1 This exercise, is from Thorndike's " Principles of Teaching.'' 




WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE THE ABOVE PICTURE IS ABOUT ? 
From Harrison's " Spanish Reader." (See exercise 23, p. E184) 



E185 




SORROWING POLAND 



Cartoons bulletined by Mr. V. L. Minor in a class in modern history. The 

reading matter describes the several partitions and invasions of Poland. 

Reproduced here by permission of the Chicago Tribune 

et86 



INTERESTS AND ECONOMY IN LEARNING E187 

(9) Cork bulletin board (11) Pictures 

(10) Cartoons (see picture on (12) Graphs 

page EI 86) (13) Excursions 

(14) Specialized topics for occasional short oral reports 

(15) Exchange of letters between a day-school class in com- 
position and a night-school class in English for foreigners 

(16) Coixtests in writing articles, the best to be published in 
the local paper 

(17) Individual contests with neighboring schools 

(18) Team contests with neighboring schools 

(19) Create an atmosphere of the subject in your classroom 

26. Write a summary. — Copy and complete the follow- 
ing summary for yourself. Write not more than twenty 
words in the blank parts and haiid it in. 

''In order to maintain interest in my classes, in addition 
to the use of occasional special devices, / shall e^tdeavor 
always (i) To keep myself 

(2) To utilize the common instinctive interests of pupils in 

(a) (b) 

(c) {d) ^ ie) 

(/) " 

I expect to teach the following subjects : 



Additional Bibliography 

1. Chadwick, R. D. Vitalizing the History Work. History 
Teachers^ Magazine., April, 19 15, Vol. VI, pp. 11 2-1 21. Use of 
contemporary events, cartoons, well-equipped room, etc. 

2. King, Irving. The High-School Age. (Bobbs-Merrill Com- 
pany, 19 1 4.) See Chapters X, XI, and XIII on interests of high- 
school pupils. 

3. Tarkington, Booth. Seve7iteen. (Harper & Brothers, 19 15.) 
An amusing account of the social trials and tribulations of a youth 
of seventeen. 



CHAPTER O 

BE AN ARTIST-TEACHER 

Emulate actors, writers, and painters. — A teacher has 
the same opportunity to achieve artistic successes as the actor, 
speaker, writer, or painter. Like these artists, he strives to 
produce certain definite audience effects, to influence persons 
to think, feel, and act in certain specific ways. Like these 
artists, he may specialize in order to perfect his techfiique 
in securing the particular effects and types of responses he 
desires, just as an actor may specialize in comedy or tragedy, 
a painter in portraits or landscapes. 

Avoid mo7iotoiiy and ejijoy varied successes. — If teach- 
ing is regarded in this way, its outlook need not be one of 
dreary monotony, any more than the outlook of the enthu- 
siastic landscape painter who experiments year after year 
with increasing success in representing color combinations, 
or the outlook of the actor who plays the same type of part 
year after year with enthusiastic interest. The audience 
stimulus and the desire for artistic achievement furnish 
some of the strongest motives to human effort. In the 
teacher's activity both may be particularly impelHng because 
of the intimate relation between the artist-teacher and his 
class audience. This intimacy enables the teacher to real- 
ize in a very personal way the effect of his efforts, to enjoy 
quickly his success, and to feel keenly at times the need 
for improvement in certain points of technique. 

Teach some parts very well. — The high- school teacher 
may early begin to achieve artistic successes by endeavoring 
to teach very well small portions of his subject. By thus 

E188 



BE AN ARTIST-TEACHER E189 

limiting his efforts to a few small units, he may perfect 
these far above the average of his success with the rest of 
the subject. Eventually he may extend his artistic technique 
to all phases of his work. 

Begin now. — Even prospective teachers can enroll for 
artistic apprenticeship by observing and studying the tech- 
nique of some specialized phase of teaching. The specialized 
observations assigned, on page E141, probably contained 
suggestions of such possibilities. Further suggestions are 
contained in the following topics : 

{a) Teaching the first book of geometry slowly and care- 
fully so as to train pupils in geometrical analysis and avoid 
the habit of merely memorizing propositions. 

{b) Teaching five of the more important and useful ab- 
stract ideas in algebra by careful conversational lessons 
which assure real understanding instead of mere juggling 
of symbols. 

ic) Teaching effective writing of narrative letters or busi- 
ness letters. 

{d) Use of current events in interpreting a limited se- 
lected list of historical situations. 

{e) Organization of ten lessons on the use of current 
magazines to form habits of enjoying reading serious con- 
temporary material. 

(/) Same as {e) for high-grade current fiction. 

{g) Development of skill in dramatizing the meaning of 
the first two hundred words to be taught in French or 
German. 

{h) Selection of real everyday problems as the starting 
point of fifteen of the experiments in a laboratory manual 
in some science. 

An inspiration, not an assignment. — The above discus- 
sion is intended to develop an artist's attitude toward teach- 
ing. It is not an assignment. Its purpose is inspiration. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XV 

ADAPTING CLASS INSTRUCTION TO DIFFERENCES 
IN CAPACITY 

Requires fine art in teaching. — The heading of this 
chapter points out one of the highest and most difficult 
achievements in artistic teaching. Consequently, beginning 
teachers can be expected to do little in the practical adapta- 
tion of their class instruction to the varying capacities of 
the students in the class. For this reason an hour or two 
spent in the discussion of this chapter should be adequate. 

Emphasize statistical facts. — The discussion should em- 
phasize the statistical facts which prove the desirability of 
avoiding the waste that results from failure to provide for 
individual differences. In addition, a few of the practical 
proposals for improvement may be considered. A small 
number of exercises is adequate for both of these purposes. 

Connect heated discussion with objective facts. — It will 
be found that students have many additional questions to 
raise concerning the validity of the arguments stated or im- 
plied in certain parts of this chapter and the exercises. In 
order to maintain a scientific attitude in this discussion it is 
important to keep constantly before the class the objective, 
statistical facts presented in the text and in the exercises. 

1. Science and opinion. — {a) Which of the following is 
more scientific according to page E12 .? Explain. 

(i) The statements on page 366 by Harris concerning simul- 
taneous instruction or (2) the statements by Thorndike (p. 367) 
and Courtis (p. 372).? 

(h) Is the least scientific of these statements an opinion 
that should be given great or little weight } Why .? 

E190 



DIFFERENCES IN CAPACITY 



EI91 



2. Graph differences in ability in algebra. — The graph 
which is begun below is based on Monroe's table of achieve- 
ments in algebra on page 374, using the data in the extreme 
left-hand and right-hand columns. Begin to read these 
columns from the bottom, as follows : 

examples were done right by 2 pupils. 

1 example was done right by 2 pupils. 

2 examples were done right by 2 pupils. 

3 examples were done right by 4 pupils. 

These data give the lower left-hand side of the graph. 





























"" 


































"" 










■" 


28 






















































































































































































































25 














































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































15 






























































































































































































































































































































































n 
















































































iU 
































































































































































































































































































5 
4 
3 
2 

1 






























































































































































































































































































































































































_ 


_ 







































1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 3'3 34 
Number of examples done. (Data shown in left-hand column) 

INCOMPLETE GRAPH OF ABILITIES IN ALGEBRA 

Assignment. — After reading the description of surfaces 
of frequency on pages 375-378, complete the graph whicH 
is started above, by using the rest of the material in Monroe's 
left-hand and right-hand columns. 



EI92 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

3. Range and waste m algebra. — (a) Find the score of 
the tenth pupil from the top of the right-hand column in 
Monroe's table or in the surface of frequency made in 
exercise 2. 

(&) Find the score of the tenth pupil from the bottom. 

(c) Answer the questions on page 371 as applied to 
Monroe's table, using the score from (a) as " highest score " 
and the score from ih) as " lowest score." 

4. Differences in reading rate. — (a) Make and hand in 
a surface of frequency (on cross-section paper preferably) 
based on the data on the rates of reading of 1 7 1 high-school 
pupils shown in the lower table on page E193. Use the 
left-hand and right-hand columns ("Number of Words " and 
'^ Total Pupils "), and begin at the top of the columns in 
order to secure the lower left-hand end of the graph. 

(6) Answer the questions on page 371 as applied to this 
table or surface of frequency. 

(c) Explain and illustrate the following statement, espe- 
cially the italicized words : 

"The rates of reading of high-school pupils are among the 
most important^ useful^ and objective facts that can be determined 
concerning the differences in abilities of such pupils." 

RATES OF SILENT READING OF 171 PUPILS IN UNIVERSITY 
OF CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL 

Secured in an Investigation by William S. Gray 

Source of 7'eading rates. — The reading rates given in the tables 
were secured by testing the pupils individually. The technique had 
been perfected by prolonged experimentation, and is described in 
W. S. Gray's '' Studies of Elementary School Reading," Supple- 
mentary Educational Monograph, 1917, The University of Chicago 
Press. The pupils were told to read rapidly but carefully, and 
informed that after they had finished they would be asked to 
write an account of what they had read. 



DIFFERENCES IN CAPACITY EI93 

Gross Distribution of High-School Reading Rates 



Number of 










Total 
Pupils 


Words per 

Minute 


Freshmen 


Sophomores 


Juniors 


Seniors 


76-100 






I 


I 


2 


IOI-125 




I 






I 


126-150 


3 


6 


2 


9 


20 


151-175 


3 


17 


3 


4 


27 


I 76-200 


4 


20 


9 


16 


49 


201-225 


I 


13 


8 


7 


29 


226-250 


I 


6 


5 


3 


15 


251-275 


3 


7 


6 


r 


17 


276-300 




6 




I 


7 


301-325 












326-350 


I 


I 






2 


351-375 




I 




I 


2 


Total 


16 


78 


34 


43 


171 



Percentage Distribution of High-School Reading Rates 



Number of 

Words per 

Minute 


Freshmen 


Sophomores 


Juniors 


Seniors 


Total 
Pupils 


76-100 






3 


2 


I 


101-125 




I 






I 


126-150 


19 


8 


6 


21 


12 


151-175 


19 


■ 22 


9 


9 


16 


1 76-200 


25 


25 


26 


38 


28 


201-225 


6 


17 


23 


17 


17 


226-250 


6 


8 


15 


7 


9 


251-275 


19 


9 


18 


2 


10 


276-300 




8 




2 


4 


301-325 












326-350 


6 


I 






I 


351-375 




I 




2 


I 


Total 


100 


TOO 


100 


100 


TOO 



EI 94 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

"Diagnosis of Silent-Reading Rates of High-School Pupils 
^'' Dirediofis for Experiments 

"By WILLIAM S. GRAY 

" In order that high-school principals and teachers may have a 
means of testing the rate and quality of the reading done by their 
pupils, the following directions for conducting a simple experiment 
are provided. 

" To determine the rate of silent readi?ig of high-school pupils. — 
Choose a selection similar in difficulty to the lessons assigned to 
your class. See to it that each pupil has a book, pencil, and sheet 
of paper at hand. Give the following directions : ' Turn to page — — . 
Presently I shall read aloud a portion of this page. Each pupil 
should follow the reading carefully. At the exact second that I 
read the last word on this page turn to the next and read silently. 
Continue reading rapidly but carefully until the signal " Stop " is 
given. Mark immediately the word you were reading at the instant 
the signal was given. Then continue reading to the bottom of the 
page. Later I shall ask questions concerning the selection, or 
I may ask you to write about it' 

"Read aloud to the class to the bottom of the page — discon- 
tinue reading and note the exact second. The pupils should con- 
tinue reading according to directions. When exactly thirty seconds 
have passed give the signal to stop. See that each pupil marks 
immediately the point reached in his reading. At your earliest con- 
venience make a record of the number of words read. The pupils 
might be asked to count the number of words read in thirty sec- 
onds and to hand in the results on slips of paper or the teacher 
might count the words herself. 

" To determi?ie the ability of high-school students to understand 
what they read. — (a) As soon as the pupils have discontinued 
reading the selection ask them to reproduce in writing what they 
have read. Give everyone sufficient time to finish. Read the 
reproductions, crossing out all wrong statements, all irrelevant 
statements and all repetitions. Count the remaining words and 
use this number as the pupil's index of efficiency, 

" (J)) Prepare a series of questions of approximately equal diffi- 
culty, and ask the pupils to write the answers. Grade upon a 



DIFFERENCES IN CAPACITY EI95 

percentage basis, giving 5, 10, or 12^ points for each correct 
answer, according to the number of questions asked. 

" {c) Depending upon the character of the story, pupils might 
be asked to reproduce the most important topics in the selection, 
to organize the major points and supporting details topically, to 
show the relation of the selection to certain historical, geographical 
or scientific facts studied, etc. 

" The results of these tests should be made the basis of many 
wise criticisms and constructive suggestions to the class as a whole 
and to special individuals. The points of weakness should be made 
the basis for further drill and intensive study. Upon the basis 
of the results of the tests, assignments may be planned more 
intelligently both from the standpoint of quantity and content.'' 

5. Normal distribtttion of students' grades. — (a) Sum- 
marize the arguments in favor of the distribution of students' 
grades given on page 379 of the text. 

(&) Hozv do yonr surfaces of frequency made in exercises 2 
and 4 contribute to these arguments ? 

(c) Make a distribution surface for the grades as given 
on page 379. 

{d) Does this scheme indicate zvhere the '' conditioned " 
or ''failed" line is drav^n ? Explain. 

(e) Does it imply that there must be a certaifi percentage 
of failures and conditions ? Explain. 

(/) Who and what determines the failure point } (Com- 
pare the long quotation on page 12 of the text.) 

ig) If a teacher's grades for the year, after having taught 
200 pupils, shov^ 20 per cent of E's and 40 per cent of 
D's, what is the matter} 

(h) If, under similar conditions, a teacher's grades show 
20 per cent of A's and 40 per cent of B's, what is the 
matter} 

6. Grading capacity, effort, and achievement. — {a) What 
would be the advantages for the school, for society, and for 
the pupil, of having each teacher give each pupil three 
grades ; namely, for capacity, for effort, for achievement} 



ET96 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

{by Which of these factors is the single grade, which is 
ordinarily given, supposed to represent ? 

(c) Which of these grades would be the most objective ? 
Explain. 

{d) Would the lack of objectivity in the other two make 
it inadvisable to have on record a teacher's opinion in these 
two matters ? Explain. 

(e) What bearing on this discussion has the classic ad- 
monition to '' know thyself " ? 

(/) What bearing has paragraph 2 on page 178 .? 

7. Varied assignments ; special seat work. — (a) Which 
one of the three phases of the scheme described on pages 
385-386 might a teacher use after one year of experience 
in teaching a subject? 

(6) When and under what conditions could a teacher 
adopt the other two phases 1 

8. Individual attention to slow, mediocre ^ and bright. — 
Assuming that some scheme of individual instruction (sup- 
plementary to class instruction) is adopted, would you say 
that society woidd profit most if the teacher distributed the 
individual instruction (time and energy) as follows : for one 
minute given to each bright pupil give two minutes to each 
mediocre pupil and three minutes to each slow pupil .? Ex- 
plain. {Compare the middle of the quotation on page 12, 
'' Snch need us less than the others do.") 

9. Is success of Batavia scheme valid f — Superintendent 
Kennedy's account of the success of the Batavia scheme 
(see No. 4, p. 417) shows that it does keep slow pupils 
from failing. 

{a) What social economy is there in this } (Consider in 
this connection the cost per pupil for one year of high-school 
education.) 

(6) Is there any validity in the objection that these pupils 
had to be ''bolstered up" all the way through school in 
order to pass t Explain. 



DIFFERENCES IN CAPACITY EI97 

10. Time assignments vet'sics qitantity assignments. — 
Would it be a good practice to tell pupils to work one hour 
on an assigned lesson in mathematics or Latin instead of 
telling them to complete a given number of problems or 
lines ? Explain. 

11. Special cases. — (a) How should you stimulate the 
bright but lazy pupil who is satisfied with mere passing in 
a subject ? 

(&) Would it help the glib, talkative, but nonstndiotis 
pupil to tell him that he would have to study if he expected 
to be allowed to recite ? Explain. 

(c) How would you give the timid, bashfid, conscientious 
pupil proper encouragement and training in recitations ? 

{d) State how special adaptations to individual needs are 
suggested in Chapters IV, IX, and XI. 

Additional Bibliography 

1. Cabel, E. D. English for the Hopeless Pupil. English Journal, 
March, 19 15, Vol. IV, pp. 207-208. 

2. Drake, E. H. An Interesting Experiment [with minimum 
and maximum assignments]. Elementary School Journal, December, 
19 1 4, Vol. XV, pp. 219-222. 

3. Clerk, F. E. The Arlington Plan of Grouping Pupils ac- 
cording to Ability. School Review, January, 19 17, Vol. XXV, 
pp. 26-47. Elaborate descriptive, statistical, and argumentative 
account of actual use of plan of placing bright, mediocre, and 
slow pupils in separate classes. 

4. Meek, C. S. A Study in Retardation and Acceleration. 
Elementary School Journal, April, 19 15, Vol. XV, pp. 421-431. 
Account of an actual experiment in promoting individual pupils 
according to their needs. 

5. ScHORLiNG, R. Problem of Individual Differences in the 
Teaching of Secondary-School Mathematics. School Review, Octo- 
ber and December, 19 15, Vol. XXIII, pp. 535-549, 649-664. 
Elaborate account of actual experiments. Includes pupils' testi- 
mony on value of types of individual adaptation used. 



CHAPTER P 

CONDENSE INTO A USABLE SYSTEM 

Throw overboard unnecessary details. — Toward the end 
of the course the class should begin to throw overboard those 
ideas of teaching which they are not going to remember 
and to realize clearly the system of practical ideas which 
they should carry away and apply. This process is sug- 
gested at two places in the text. On pages 76-78 it is 
pointed out that the details which are necessary in the 
initial study of topics may be forgotten after they have 
served their purpose, so that the one tenth which is remem- 
bered may consist of the large fundamental issues. Again, 
in the quotation on page 218 James speaks of the ''drop- 
ping out and throwing overboard of conscious content " as 
a person becomes wise in a given field of study and is 
able to think of it in terms of its larger aspects and their 
interrelations. 

Forget details and remember coherent system.- — Hence, 
if we combine the idea of forgetting details with the idea of 
maintaining apparent coherence (described above, on pages 
E52-E53), we get the notion of condensing the course into 
a system of large ideas about teaching. 

Each student to apply the course. — By adding the further 
idea of having each student remember the parts of the 
course which he can use to best advantage in his future 
teaching, we secure the notion of condensing the course 
into 2i usable, practical sy^t^m. of ideas concerning methods 
of teaching. 

Three assignments. — In order to assist the students in 
this process, three assignments are provided, as follows : 

E198 



CONDENSE INTO A USABLE SYSTEM EI99 

(i) Study of the coherent outline of the course, given 
on page E156, above. 

(2) A cut-down final examination covering about one 
hundred and seventy-five selected pages of the text. 

(3) A paper by each student containing selected ideas of 
methods of teaching which he plans to use. 

Assignments (i) and (2) will be discussed later. Assign- 
ment (3) should be made at this point, and is described 
below, under the title '' I Shall Try." 

I Shall Try to Apply the Following Ideas in 
MY Teaching 

The most valuable assignment in the course. — The fol- 
lowing assignment is the most valuable in the course, since 
it concerns each student's practical application of the course 
in his future teaching. It requires a review of the text by 
each student and self-active selection by him from the whole 
course of those ideas which he expects to use. 

Assignment. — (i) Write a paper containing twenty-five 
practical ideas selected from Parker's textbook which you 
will plan to use in your future teaching. 

(2) In the case of each of ten of these ideas indicate in 
some detail how you expect to carry it out ; that is, write 
from one half to one theme page illustrating concretely its 
application in your special plans. Suggestions of such 
applications may be secured from your previous examina- 
tion of textbooks and periodical articles on the teaching of 
your subjects and from observations. 

If you know the position which you will occupy next 
year, write your paper to apply specifically to it. 

(3) Divide your paper as follows : 

I. The simpler points of technique which it will be rela- 
tively easy for you to master in your early teaching. 

II. The more difficult phases of artistic teaching which 
you may undertake in your later experience. 



E200 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Inexperienced beginners should place about fifteen easy 
points under I and ten more difficult artistic matters under 
II. Experienced teachers may divide their points between 
I and II in varied proportions. 

(4) Arrange your paper in the following form : 



I SHALL TRY 



I. I7i my early teaching, 
I. To arrange etc. , 



To maintain etc. 



To secure etc. by etc. 



II, In my later teachmg, 

1 6. To provide for by etc. 



17. To adapt etc. 



25. To organize etc. 

(5) Canvass the whole text for ideas, not omitting the 
later chapters, especially Chapter XVII (on books), Chapter 
XX (on questioning), and Chapter XXII (on testing). 

(6) Teach the instructor of the course by your specific 
applications, as he will find that he can learn much from 
his students concerning their special fields of teaching. 

(7) Ha?id in your paper days before the final 

examination, so that it may be read and returned to you at 
the examination. 

(8) Keep your paper and actually use and apply it in 
your teaching. ■ 



CONDENSE INTO A USABLE SYSTEM e20i 

Follow-up Letter concerning '' I Shall Try " 

December 15, 191? 
Miss Hopeful Beginner 

Pleasantville High School 
My dear Miss Beginner : 

Do you lemember the '' I Shall Try" paper which you wrote 
in Education 87(?) setting forth the efforts you might make to 
achieve artistic teaching ? 

Have you ever thought of the possibility of actually trying out 
some of the ideas expressed in your paper ? 

If you have not, when you go home for the Christmas holidays, 
dig out the paper and put it in your traveling bag to read when 
you return to teaching. Don't put it in your trunk or you may 
forget to read it. Moreover, don't read it during the holidays, 
as you probably need the vacation, especially plenty of outdoor 
recreation. 

After you have tried out some of the methods described in 
your paper, I shall be glad to hear from you concerning your 
success. 

Perhaps you will have some suggestions concerning the way in 
which the course in Methods of Teaching might have been made 
more helpful to you. 

If you continue to teach, I suggest that you choose some limited 
topic or phase of your work and experiment from class to class or 
year to year with it until you have worked it up into a finished, 
artistic piece of teaching. Then write a description of your methods 
and send it to some appropriate journal, such as the English Jow'nal 
or the History Teachers'' Magazine, for publication. 

With best wishes for a pleasant vacation and for health, happi- 
ness, and success as a teacher, I remain. 

Yours sincerely 

Every Professor of Education 

P. S. Put this letter where you will be sure to notice it when 
you go home. 



E202 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Follow-up methods. — Follow-up methods which are used 
so effectively in business could be used with equal success 
in improving high-school teaching. California, which sets 
so many good examples in education, not only requires its 
high-school teachers to be professionally trained college 
graduates with one year of additional graduate study but 
also has a plan for following up beginning high-school 
teachers and inspecting and improving their work. 



^... 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XVI 

SUPERVISED STUDY 

More fine art in teaching. — As in the case of provisions 
for individual differences discussed in Chapter XV, the 
skilled conduct of supervised study involves very artistic 
teaching. Ifi some subjects, like mathematics, it is rela- 
tively easy to devise and master a technique of supervising 
study. In most subjects, however, little progress has been 
made even by skilled teachers in devising and defining a 
technique that some other teacher could imitate. Owing to 
these difficulties it is well to avoid spending too much time 
on this chapter. 

Need introduction to progressive practice. — The fact that 
many progressive high schools now include supervised study 
as a regular part of each teacher's duties makes it desir- 
able, however, to introduce students of education to some of 
the problems involved, even though conclusive answers are 
lacking to many of these. 

The discussion is arranged under the following headings : 

Conditions in Home Study. 

Statistical Investigations. 

Organization of Supervised Study. 

Favorable Conditions for Study. 

Favorable Habits of Study. 

Printed Directions for Study. 

How to Assist Pupils when they are Studying. 

Important exercises. — Be sure to assign exercise ij 
(p. E2o8), and discuss it briefly when assigning it. Exercise 
21 (p. E2IO) also is worthy of careful study. 

E203 



E204 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Conditions in Home Study 

1. Pupils' difficulties in studyiiig. — To what extent is 
the following incident typical of high-school pupils' diffi- 
culties in getting their lessons ? Explain with examples 
from your own observation. 

An honor graduate of a high school said, " In my first year of 
high school I frequently had to seek assistance from my former 
eighth-grade teacher, in order to get my lessons in algebra and 
Latin." 

2. Influence of home environmejit . — (a) Write a sentence 
which states the facts of vertical column I of the table at the 
top of page 396. Begin your sentence as follows : "Of the 
students from homes of first rank, 75 per cent had ." 

(6) Write a similar sentence for column III. 

(c) Write a similar sentence for the first horizontal 
row of the table at the bottom of page 396. Begin this 
sentence as follows : '' Of the students doing assigned home 
study ." 

{d) Write a similar sentence for the second horizontal 
row in the lower table. 

Statistical Investigations 

3. Validity of Breslich' s investigation. — (a) Show how 
Breslich's experiment, described on pages 397-399, has the 
characteristics of a scientific investigation as described on 
page EI 2. 

(&) Have you any questions or doubts concerning the 
validity of his technique or co7iclusions ? 
* 4. Amount of study by good students. — From Reavis's 
(revis) table of Latin grades at the bottom of page 399 
of the text, what general statement can you make con- 
cerning the amount ' of time put in by the students who 
make the best grades ? (Omit the three students who put 
in no time but made A and A+. Why T) 



SUPERVISED STUDY E205 

5. Failures in a Latin class. — (a) Make a rough surface 
of frequency for the grades in the table on page 399. How 
is the distribution pecuHar ? 

(&) Is the number of conditions and failures justified ? 
Explain. 

Organization of Supervised Study 

6. Periods for supervised stndy. — (a) Show how a teacher 
may organize supervised study with ordinary high-school 
periods. 

(&) Why do some high-school principals insist on a 
stated division of each teaching period into (i) recitation 
and (2) supervised study } 

(c) Would this division be necessary for yozL ? Why .? 

Favorable Conditions for Study 

7. Examine Frontispiece. — (a) What unfavorable con- 
ditions for study are shown in the upper picture of the 
Frontispiece of this exercise book } 

(b) How are the conditions better in the lower picture ? 

8. Testimony concerning study program. — Do the testi- 
monies on page 405 sound sincere } Explain. 

Favorable Habits of Study 

9. Getting started to sturdy. — (a) Underline the most 
important general statements for a teacher in the quoted 
paragraph by Breslich, on page 406, and label them '' Exer- 
cise 9." 

(6) Show the relation between Breslich 's paragraph and 
the discussion of general attitudes of attention given at the 
bottom of page 358. 

10. Underlining. — In the directions for study on page ei 5 
why does Parker say not to underline whole sentences ,'' 
There are three good reasons. 



E2o6 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

11. Individual differences in study habits. — (a) Some 
superior students read and understand so rapidly that written 
outlining retards the pace of their studying. Should such 
persons make written outlines when studying ? Explain. 

(6) Do any of Parker's suggestions for study given on 
pages EI 5 and E25 seem unfitted to your own mental dis- 
position or habits of study } Explain. 

Printed Directions for Study 

12. Lewis and Hosics directions for study. — In the 
following directions for studying Lewis and Hosic's " Prac- 
tical English," indicate how each paragraph /^ra://^/^- (label P) 
Parker's discussion or supplements (label S) by adding ideas 
not discussed in the text or exercises. Make a memorandum 
of the corresponding page in Parker after each P label. 

"1. THE USE OF THIS TEXTBOOK 

" Spend one study period in examining this book. Discover 
the following : 

" I. The purpose it is meant to serve. 

" 2. The manner in which it is intended to be used. 

''3. What parts of it are most interesting. 

" 4. In what ways it will be useful to you. 

"5. Who wrote it, and when and by whom it was published. 

"6. How the index is arranged. 

"7. Whether there are other features of the book worth con- 
sidering. 

^* Be prepared to discuss with your classmates the points out- 
lined above. In discussion try to be clear and courteous. 

" First of all, learn how to study." 

13. Use of study directions. — What steps would high- 
school teachers have to take to make printed directions for 
study actually affect the study habits of high-school pupils } 

14. Preferred directions. — Which set of directions for 
study do you prefer, those by Reavis on pages 4 11 -4 12 or 
those on pages E207-E208 } Why } 



SUPERVISED STUDY 



E207 



STUDY HELPS FOR STUDENTS i 

Prepared by the Teachers of The University of 
Chicago High School 

The habits of study formed in school are of greater importance 
than the subjects mastered. The following suggestions, if carefully 
followed, will help you make your mind an efficient tool. Your 
daily aim should be to learn your lesson in less time, or to learn it 
better in the same time. 

1. Make out a definite daily program, arranging for a definite 
time for each study. You will thus form the habit of concentrating 
your thoughts on the subject at that time. 

2. Provide yourself with the material the lesson requires ; have 
on hand textbook, notebook, maps, ruler, compass, special paper 
needed, etc. When writing, be sure to have the light from the 
left side. 

3. Understand the lesson assignment. Learn to take notes on 
the suggestions given by the teacher when the lesson is assigned. 
Take down accurately any references given by the teacher. Should 
a reference be of special importance, star (*) it so that you may 
readily find it. Pick out the important topics of the lesson before 
beginning your study. 

4. Learn to use your textbook, as it will help you to use other 
books. Therefore understand the purpose of such devices as index, 
appendix, footnotes, maps, illustrations, vocabulary, etc., and use 
them freely. 

5. Do not lose time getting ready for study. Sit down and begin 
to work at once. Concentrate on your work ; that is, put your 
mind on it and let nothing disturb you. Have the will to learn. 

6. As a rule it is best to go over the lesson quickly, then to go 
over it again carefully; for example, before beginning to solve 
a problem in mathematics read it through and be sure you under- 
stand what is given and what is to be proved ; in translating 
a foreign language read the passage through and see how much 
you can understand before consulting the vocabulary. 

1 Copies of these helps maybe secured from The University of Chicago 
Press. 



E208 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

^. Do individual study. Learn to form your own judgments, 
to work your own problems. Individual study is honest study. 

8. Try to put the facts you are learning into practical use if 
possible. Apply them to present-day conditions. Illustrate them 
in terms familiar to you. 

9. Take an interest in the subjects taught in school. Read the 
corresponding literature in your school library or home. Talk to 
your parents about your school work. Discuss with them points 
that interest you. 

10. Review your lessons frequently. If there were points you 
did not understand, the review will help you to master them. 

1 1 . Prepare each lesson every day. The habit of meeting each 
requirement punctually is of extreme importance. 

How TO Assist Pupils when they are Studying 

15. Circulating teacher. — Which is better: (i) for the 
teacher to circulate among the pupils, giving help in turn, 
or (2) for the teacher merely to respond to appeals for help ? 
Explain. 

16. Objective evidence of pupil's thinking. — In connec- 
tion with the discussion on page 412 describe the objective 
product which you would expect to see in determining a 
pupil's needs for suggestions while he is studying some 
particular assignment in each of the following : 

Algebra Composition 

Geometry Physics 

Latin Chemistry 

German or French Literature 

17. Assisting pupils in analysis. — This exercise contains 
a problem from arithmetic or algebra which practically all ' 
college students can understand. 

In answering the exercise, note that you are not asked to 
make the calculations. It is necessary, however, for you to 
analyze the complicated problem in its larger aspects. 



SUPERVISED STUDY E209 

In your analysis determine fifst the two fundamental 
parts of the problem. Then make parallel linear diagrams to 
represent each of these parts. Then indicate on the diagrams 
distance, rate, and time as known or unknown quantities. 
In order to answer the exercise it will 7tot be necessary to 
carry your analysis to the smallest details. 

(a) Write out five suggestions or questions which you 
would use in assisting a junior high-school pupil to analyse 
the problem printed below. Arrange these iji the order in 
zvhich yoti woidd expect to use them. 

(b) State the reasons for the order of your suggestions. 

(c) Would solving the problem waste a pupil's time.? Why.? 
{d) Would analysing it waste his time .? Why } 

DATA FOR EXERCISE 17 

"John left Central Square at 9 a.m., riding a bicycle whose 
wheels were each 30 inches in diameter, and rode for two hours, 
pedalling at such a rate as to make ninety revolutions of the rear 
wheel per minute. After stopping 20 minutes to rest he continued, 
but at a rate only two-thirds as fast. Fred started from Central 
Square at 10 a.m., followed the same route as John for one hour, 
then rode a mile off the road and a mile back again. He then 
continued after John. His wheel was so geared that each revolu- 
tion of the crank shaft carried him the same distance as a wheel 
of 72 inches diameter would carry anyone in a single revolution. 
He pedalled throughout at such a rate as to make 36 revolutions 
of the crank shaft per minute. How far behind John would he be 
at 12 o'clock?" — Thorndike, ''Principles of Teaching," p. 173. 

18. General pla7ts for assignments. — (a) From the quo- 
tations from Breslich on pages 414-416 work out a state- 
ment of the plan which you would follow in making 
assignments for the unsupervised part of the studying to 
be done by pupils in your special subjects. 

(b) What additions would you make to this statement 
from the standpoint of the chapter on i^iterests t 



E2IO EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

19. Solve these difficulties. — (a) What is the probable 
explanation for each of the occurrences described below ? 

(&) What steps should be taken to remedy the difficulty ? 
(c) What relation do they bear to page E203 ? 

(i) In one supervised study class the children merely idled and 
chewed their pencils until the teacher came to them ; between 
suggestions most of the children merely fooled away their time. 

(2) An algebra teacher had about half the class around her 
every evening after school asking for help on the problems. They 
were not satisfied with a few suggestions, but pretended to be 
ignorant of how to proceed ; so the teacher would finally work 
the problems, explaining each step. Meanwhile students would be 
copying the work, and giving little heed to the explanation. The 
next day these students would have the problems worked out, 
but often could not explain them. 

(3) An enthusiastic high-school principal fresh from graduate 
courses in education introduced supervised study. His teachers 
welcomed it heartily as a relief from teaching, and the schools 
soon became the " joke " of that region. 

(4) An experienced high-school principal says, " In many cases 
teachers use the supervised study periods for correcting papers, 
reading the daily paper, or visiting each other." 

20. Home study. — In the light of Parker's chapter and 
all the preceding discussion, describe, with reasons, the 
amount and kind of home study which you believe in. 

21. Suggestive example. — What suggestions for tech- 
nique in supervising study, particularly for utilizing objective 
evidence, do you derive from the following description, by 
I. M. Allen, of the experiences of a boy in a class in English 
composition. 

A CONCRETE ILLUSTRATION FROM THE LABORATORY- 
RECITATION PLAN IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION 

Perhaps the best way to illustrate the application of the fore- 
going plan would be actually to take a pupil and carry him through 
both laboratory and recitation. This I have undertaken to do with 



SUPERVISED STUDY e2II 

a certain pupil, Robert, who prepares his oral-theme outline in 
laboratory, recites upon the same in his recitation group, reduces 
the same to writing in laboratory, receiving his criticism thereon 
and, finally, re-checks his written theme from these corrections. 
Ordinarily such a process would extend over a period of two 
days. Here Robert, for the purpose of this paper, continued his 
progress through laboratory and recitation during one afternoon, 
much to the loss of equilibrium for Robert, as he so declared in 
recitation. 

A. Laboratory Assignment 

Plan to tell orally to the class the most exciting adventure that 
has happened to anyone whom you personally know. 

First Outline Submitted by Robert 

WEALTHY FARMER HAS NEAR ESCAPE FROM DEATH 

The lead: James Branden, a wealthy farmer living near 
Springfield, was saved from death yesterday when he leaped to 
an incoming passenger train. 

Situation: Mr. Branden had gone to town on business and 
then returned home. 

Climax : His car stopped on train tracks and the engine refused 
to work. Passenger train neared the automobile of Branden. 

Denouement : He saved his life by springing from his car to 
the engine of the passenger train. 

Laboratory Teacher's Criticisms of Outline 

T. What did you intejtd this first line for .? 

P. The first line is supposed to be the headline. 

T. Do you see any mistake in grammar ? 

P. Yes — near. 

T. What part of speech is near 2 

P. Verb. 

T. Is it used there as a verb ? How is it used ? 

P. It should be an adverb. 

T. What does it modify ? 

P. In this sentence, escape. 



E2I2 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

T. What part of speech is escaped 

P. Noun. 

T. What do you call a word that modifies a noun ? 

P. An adjective. 

T. JVear is what, according to the dictionary ? 

P. Near means close. 

T. What part of speech is near ? May it be used as an adjective 2 

P. It probably could. 

T. Where would you look to find out 1 Look that up. 

Pupil consulted dictionary and found near used both as an 
adjective and an adverb. 

T. What word could you substitute for near? 

P. Narrow. 

T. Is there a difference between the two ? 

P. Yes. Near does not explain so much as the word narrow. 

T. Your lead is good. Under your situation, this should be, 
'' He started and was returning to his residence. ^^ Why ? 

P. Because he had not reached his home when this happened. 
I could say, '' Mr. Branden had gone to town on business and 
started to return to his residence." 

[The remaining portions of an extended conference are omitted. 
— Editors.] 



Outline for Second Thriller {^Prepared in Laboratory by Robert) 

WEALTHY FARMER HAS NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH 

The lead : James Branden, a wealthy farmer living near Spring- 
field, was saved from death yesterday when he leaped from his 
automobile to the engine of an oncoming passenger train. 

Situation : Mr. Branden had gone to town in his automobile on 
business and then started to return to his residence. 

Climax : His car stopped on the railroad tracks and the engine 
refused to work. The passenger train neared the automobile of 
Branden. 

Denouement : He saved his life by springing from his car to 
the engine of the passenger train. 



SUPERVISED STUDY E213 

B. Recitation 
(Robert gives oral theme in recitation group) 

A SECOND THRILLER 

James Branden, a wealthy farmer living near Springfield, yes- 
terday had a narrow escape from being killed. He was coming to 
town in his car. In the center of the railroad tracks it stopped. 
Mr. Branden tried to get the engine to work by means of the self- 
starter. He could not move it. He saw a passenger train approach- 
ing, but waited two or three minutes and grabbed a hold on the 
engine. Thus he was saved from being killed. In five minutes 
the train stopped and he regained his conscience. Now he was 
taken from his situation unhurt. 

Class Criticisins 

He was familiar with his outline. 

He followed his outline well. 

It was good. 

It held us in suspense. 

T. Another criticism to show its good points ? 

He had a good lead. 

T. Did he accomplish his purpose "i 

The thrill was all right, but was illogical. He saw a passenger 
train and waited two or three minutes and jumped on the car and 
in five minutes the passenger train stopped. Rather slow for a 
passenger train. 

T. What about the situation ? Was that clear ? What about 
the denouement "i 

P. Those were clear. 

He said, " regaining his conscience " (sense or consciousness). 

He said, '' git and grabbed a hold." 

He said, " he was taken from his situation unhurt." 

He said, " living near Springfield yesterday." 

Change of verb tenses. Started with past and then said " he 
now. ..." Incorrect pronoun : '' When he got to the railroad 
track it stopped." 

Robert : I had to go so slow for the stenographer to get it that 
I did not give it the way I wanted to. 



E2I4 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

A. Robert's Next Laboratory Exercise — Reduces Oral 
Theme to Writing 

WEALTHY farmer HAS NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH 

James Branden, a wealthy farmer living near Springfield, was 
saved from death, yesterday, when he leaped from his automobile 
to the engine of an oncoming passenger. 

Mr. Branden had left his farm, in the early part, in his automo- 
bile for town to attend to some business and had now started to 
return home by the way of Cook Street, a street which leads to 
his farm. 

When his car reached the center of the railroad track on Third 
Street it stop. He tried to get the engine to work by pushing 
the self-starter with his foot, but it would not work. He then 
started to get out of his car to examine the engine, but so fright- 
ened, by the sight of an oncoming passenger train that he could 
not move hand or foot. 

Finally he regained his senses and saw that the only way for 
him to save his life was to jump. Just as the engine of the 
passenger train was about to strike his car he sprang from his seat 
to a rod that was on the side of the engine and held there till the 
engine came to a stop. 

The enginere of the passenger train brought the engine to a 
stop and removed Branden from his place. 

It was found that Branden received no injuries. 

Laboratory Corrections by Robeii 

1 . A comma is needed here. Rule. Every appositive should be 
set off by a comma. 

2. Word omitted, train. This is necessary to make sense. 

3. Words omitted, "of the day." These are necessary to the 
sense. 

4. Mistake in grammar. I should use the past tense, stopped. 

5. Word omitted, was. It is needed to finish the verb. 

6. A new paragraph should not begin here, for this is not a new 
thought. It belongs with the sentence that precedes it. 

7. Mistake in spelling. It should be engineer. 



SUPERVISED STUDY E215 

Additional Bibliography 

1. Allen, I. M. Experiments in Supervised Study. School 
Review, June, 191 7, Vol. XXV, pp. 398-411. The best sugges- 
tions of actual technique of supervising study. Quoted in part 
above. 

2. Hall-Quest, A. L. Supervised Study. (The Macmillan 
Company, 19 16.) A very useful summary of all phases of the 
problem up to date of publication. Contains much source material. 

3. LoGASA, Hannah. Some Phases of Library-Study-Room 
Management. School Review, May, 19 16, Vol. XXIV, pp. 352- 
358. By an expert librarian and supervisor of study. 

4. Merriman, E. D. Technique of Supervised Study. School 
Review, January, 19 18, Vol. XXVI, pp. 35-38. Suggestions 
concerning making supervision of study effective. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XVII 

THE USE OF BOOKS 

Very important. — The topic of this chapter is especially 
important in view of the large part played by books in 
teaching. The discussion falls under four heads. 

I. Social importance of the use of reading matter. 
II. Profitable use of textbooks. 

III. Economical use of prescribed supplem,entary reading. 

IV. Library i?ivestigations and reports. 

I. Social Importance of Reading 

1. Reading in business. — Is the following illustration 
typical of the part played by reading by executives in 
business life } Explain. 

" A certain very successful sales manager (a director of a hun- 
dred traveling salesmen) is an habitual reader of books on scien- 
tific business management and such business magazines as System 
From these he gets many of the ideas which he uses in improving 
his organization and business." 

2. Memorizing in professions. — Is the following exam- 
ple typical of the part played by memorizing material from 
books in professional activities .? Explain. 

" I am a lawyer thirty years of age and probably of average 
memory, but I find that when the trial of a case which I have once 
prepared on is delayed for a few weeks or months I forget many 
of the details of both the facts and the law, and have to review the 
case quite fully again. I also have considerable difficulty in re- 
membering on legal propositions whether the holding is one way, 
or just the other way, though the proposition itself I can remember 
well enough." 

E2l6 



THE USE OF BOOKS E217 

3. Memorizing ideas. — What distinctions are suggested 
by the term " memorizing of ideas " which occurs at the top 
of page 421 ? 

II. Textbooks 

4. Cheyneys preface. — What sentence on page 422 is 
paralleled by the quotation from the preface of Cheyney's 
"Short History of England" given above on page E167. 

5. T^mneled texts in education. — (a) What sentence on 
page 422 of Parker's text does the book review given below 
illustrate ? 

(&) Name a textbook on education or the textbook to 
which the review applies. 

"REVIEV^ OF BLANKEY'Si TEXTBOOK ON EDUCATION 

" By Miss Evelyn Dudley 

" An unworthy spirit of revenge for recent mental upheavals has 
inspired the following Sonnet: On First Looking Into Blankey's 
Text-book — written with abject apologies to Keats : 

" Oft have I sped through tunneled mountain height, 
Whose shadows first allure, then grow more deep, 
As rocky cavern walls, high-arched and steep, 
Shut out the living gleams of gracious light ; 
And then am I involved in blackest night, 
With horrid noises, heard in fevered sleep ; 
Fantastic figures seem to leer and leap. 
Till sunshine breaks again upon my sight. 
Thus Blankey reads — enticing at the start, 
With promises of interest, and gain. 
And understanding of the teacher's art — 
Alas that such fair promise should be vain ! 
Yet ere I close the book, with heavy heart, 
I glimpse again a meaning, clear and plain." 

1 In order to disguise the author, the name " Blankey " is used here. 



E2i8 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

6. Use of prescribed texts. — As a rule, beginning teachers 
have to use textbooks prescribed by some other authority. 
For a teacher in such a position what are the two most 
important statements concerning textbooks which you can 
find in this ' chapter ? 

7. Cooperation with author. — (a) What does the heading 
of this exercise suggest to you ? 

(&) What paragraphs in Parker's chapter does it sum- 
marize ? 

8. Interest in recitations. — (a) Why is the type of recita- 
tion described in the third sentence on page 425 more Hkely 
to be interesting than a recitation of memorized textbook 
material ? 

{&) To what instincts does the former appeal ? (See list 
on page E177, above.) 

9. Exercises on meanings. — (a) What is the value of 
such exercises as the following in providing training in the 
use of books: exercise 5 on page ei8, referring to the 
force of the word ''directly" as used in a sentence, and 
exercise 15 on page e88, referring to the force of the 
phrase ''other things being equal" as used in a given 
sentence ? 

ih) In what subjects in high schools is this type of 
training most emphasized ? 

(c) Could it be provided as effectively in other subjects t 
Explain. 

10. Class study ; sample lesson. — What specific training 
in the use of books is provided in the history lesson on 
Minos which is quoted above, on pages E159-E161 t 

11. Evaluate a sample recitation: socialism. — (a) Point 
out two good features of the following lesson from the 
standpoint of Parker's discussion of recitations based on 
assigned readings in textbooks. 

(&) Can you discover any weaknesses in the lesson.? 
Explain. 



THE USE OF BOOKS E219 

LESSON ON SOCIALISM 

Topic. — Socialism. 

Class. — Mixture of high-school juniors and seniors. 
Course. — Modern history not a course in civics. 
Assigfied textbook reading. — Historical accounts of socialism 
and related movements in Europe. 
Subtopics. 

1. Definition of socialism. 

2. Comparison with communism, anarchy, and syndicalism. 

3. State socialism. 

4. Why socialism has not made more progress in the United 
States. 

5. Weakness of socialism. 

Only a few of the teacher's questions with abbreviated sug- 
gestions of the pupils' answers are given. 

The discussion of each main question was continued until the 
pupils' ideas were made more nearly correct. In later lessons, 
after more reading, their ideas were further refined. Much of 
the discussion is omitted here. 

I. Recitation on Definitions learned in Assigned 
Reading 

(i) Teacher. How are you going to define socialism ? 

Pupil. Socialism is that state or condition where the 
government controls all products and agencies and distribution 
of such. 

(2) T. Would it be a socialistic state if Ger?nany would dis- 
tribute according to the needs of the people ? 

P. No. It would be a communistic form. Socialistic is a 
popular government and an equal division. Communistic property 
belongs to everybody — equal ownership — everything in common. 
Socialistic is an equal division. 

(3) T. What is the difference between socialism and communism ? 
P. Socialism is a proportional division, communism equal 

division.^ 

^The discussion of socialism versus communism was continued until 
the pupils' ideas were corrected. 



E220 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(4) T. What is the difference between socialism and anarchy ? 
P. Socialism is more peaceful — anarchy is not peaceful. 

Anarchy implies no government, no ruler. Socialism believes in 
government. 

(5) T. What are the syndicalists ? 

P. Those that believe in stopping work — breaking down 
machinery — to destroy property to make capital and labor equal. 

(6) T. Does it make capital and labor equal to destroy capital ? 
P. To have industry you must have capital — destroying 

only makes new capital.-^ 

(7) T. What is state socialism ? 

P. That the state should own all property — be leader in 
all action. State putting in operation socialistic ideas. 

(8) T. To what distance has state socialism gone ? 

P. Protection of labor — old-age pensions — health resorts 
— accident insurance — care of unemployed. 

II. First Problem for Critical Class Study ; not 
Answered in the Assigned Reading 

(9) T. Why has not socialism gained a greater headway in the 
United States ? 

P. No class distinction — more competition for labor — 
labor unions look after their members — capitalists contribute to 
the welfare and interests of their employees. 

(10) T. Is there anything in the American form of government 
that discourages socialism 1 

P. Democratic government does not demand it. Class 
distinctions are lacking.^ 

(11) T. What government in the United States would be called 
upon to put into effect a socialistic program ? 

P. State government. 

(12) T. What efect would it produce if the state of Wisconsin 
adopted old-age pension law ? one third by state, one third by labor, 
one third by the manufactories 1 

P. Manufactories would move to other states to escape 
taxation. 

^ Discussion of syndicalism continued until clearer ideas prevailed 
among pupils. 2 Further critical discussion. 



THE USE OF BOOKS e22I 

(13) T. What effect does this possibility have on legislators ? 

P. Legislators will refuse to pass laws that take manu- 
factories out of the state. 

(14) T. Why does n^t the 7iational government put it into effects 
P. Not all want it. 



III. Second Problem for Critical Class Study ; not 
Answered in Assigned Reading 

(15) T. Is there anything wrong with the theory of socialism ; 
namely^ the state has control and distributes according to what 
is contributed 'i 

P. There would appear the problem of worth. Favoritism. 
The question of fixing a man's worth. The question of numbers 
involved, and other things to attend to. 

(16) T. Who shall set the value of the individual? 
P. The state. 

(17) T. Who is the state? Who is to determine? (^In order to 
be fair to industries. Impartial^ 

P. Number of leaders necessary. Then there might be 
unfairness. 

(18) T. What would you do with the person that refuses to 
contribute to industry ? When the state turns him off, what is he 
to do ? ^ 

III. Supplementary Reading 

12. Laboratory method in history. — (a) What paragraph in 
Parker's chapter is illustrated by the scheme described below t 

(b) How much of the scheme is practicable in a small 
high school } 

(c) What steps would you take to make a beginning with it } 

" The history laboratory is well equipped with large tables, maps, 
charts, reference books, dictionaries of geography and biography, 
encyclopaedias, bulletin boards, cabinets with relics, etc. Outsiders 
are interested in lending materials." 

1 For the next lessons further readings were assigned to aid in clearing 
up questions which had arisen during the discussion. 



E222 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

13. Syllabus methods. — Some skilled high-school teachers 
artfully combine textbook and supplementary reading methods 
by issuing a mimeographed syllabus which parallels the text. 
This contains the daily text assignments plus exact page 
references to a considerable number of parallel readings on 
each topic. 

(a) If you used this method, would you regard the parallel 
reading primarily as supplementary assignments for the bright 
pupils or as book training for alii Explain. 

(6) How would your methods of assignment and recitation 
vary, depending on which point of view in (a) you took ? 

(c) How would the parallel readings be worked into the 
recitations in the most helpful ways t 

IV. Investigations and Special Reports 

14. Papers for women s clubs. — (a) What sentence on 
page 431 suggests a description of the papers commonly 
presented in women's clubs 1 

(b) Is the preparation of such club papers sufficiently 
important in social life to justify training girls for it in 
high schools ? Explain. 

(c) What bearing does the term ''continuation education" 
have on this exercise .? 

15. Are oral reports desirable? — After reading the follow- 
ing quoted opinions, what is your conclusion concerning the 
desirability of organizing in high school a system of oral 
reports by pupils, based upon investigations as described on 
pages 428—435 ? Include in your conclusion several i^ifer- 
ences, preferably one from each of the opinions quoted^ but 
rearranged and organized as a unified conclusion. 

(i) A noted teacher of graduate students of education says, "Oral 
reports are an unmitigated bore for all concerned — the student 
reporting, the class and the teacher. They serve no useful purpose 
and the time should be used to better advantage." 



THE USE OF BOOKS E223 

(2) A graduate student says, " I received more benefit, professor, 
from the seventy-five hours which I spent in preparing my report 
for your class than I did from all of the lectures and required 
readings in all my courses this term, including your own." 

(3) A college teacher says, '' In the high school which I attended, 
we had to make three-minute reports on readings regularly, and in 
our graduating year had to deliver three eight-minute talks in the 
school assembly. When I left high school, I made short talks as 
a matter of course. In college, I had no training in speaking, 
however; I lost entirely the habits which I developed in high school." 

(4) A college student says, '^ My public speaking course is the 
most interesting which I have ever taken, because I hear so many 
matters discussed upon which I am uninformed and have done 
little or no reading." 

(5) A college senior writes, '' In high school I took three subjects, 
history, civics, and commercial geography, in which the particular 
stunt of having students give reports was tried out. Except in cases 
where the subject was exceedingly interesting, for example, just how 
each of the assassinated presidents met death, the members of the 
class lent a deaf ear to the report. After the report was read, the 
questions about it, in most cases, were received in cold silence." 

16. Directions for oral reports. — (a) State the probable 
reason for each of the items in the following directions for 
making oral reports in Parker's graduate classes. 

(6) Write between the lines such modifications of the 
directions as would be necessary to adapt them to some 
scheme for oral reports which you would plan for high- 
school students. 



DIRECTIONS TO STUDENTS FOR MAKING ORAL REPORTS 

" (i) You will have from twenty-five to fifty minutes to use as 
effectively and profitably as possible. The time is yours ; try to 
make the best of it for the benefit of the class. 

" (2) Stop gathering material at least one week (seven days) 
before your report is due in order to have time to get it organized 
and ready for presentation. 



E224 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

'' (3) Rehearse your report at home at least twice in order to time 
yourself and to familiarize yourself with its organization and content. 

'^ (4) If you have too much material, do not plan to talk rapidly 
to get it all in. Cut it down to the main points and plan to make 
these perfectly clear. 

" (5) Avoid long introductions. 

" (6) Avoid giving too much detail on the earlier items in your 
report. 

" (7) Assume that students are familiar with the textbook and 
avoid repeating material contained in it except as an explanatory 
review." 

17. Distinguish book training and expression. — (a) In 
the scheme for reports based on investigations described on 
page 428, mark v^ith B the parts v^hich provide training in 
the nse of books and with Ex the parts that involve training 
in expression. 

(b) Is one (B or £x) possible without the other ? Explain. 

(c) Which is easier to administer .? 

(d) Would the use or omission of one or the other depend 
on the teacher .? Explain. 

18. Conferences for reports. — What light does the teach- 
er's conference with Robert, described above, on page e2ii, 
throw on the problems suggested in the next to last para- 
graph on page 428 .? 

19. Individual differences. — (a) How effectively does the 
scheme for reports on special topics based on investigations 
provide for individual differences ? Explain. 

(&) Show the relation of the scheme to exercise 8 on 
page EI 96. 

20. Indexes, — (a) What is Poole's Index and how is 
it used } 

(&) What other indexes are there which serve the same 
purpose as Poole's 1 

(c) How do they differ ? 

(d) Would these indexes be useful in the high schools 
with which you are familiar ? Why .? 



THE USE OF BOOKS E225 

21. Use of periodicals. — (a) Which is easier to organize, 
training in the use of bound volumes of periodicals or in the 
use of ciirrertt issues ? Explain. 

(&) What habits are formed in the use of each {bound or 
current) which are not formed in the use of the other t 

(c) Examine copies of the Literary Digest and the Pop- 
ular Science Monthly and name the high-school courses in 
which they might be used. 

id) Name one or two other periodicals which might fur- 
nish material for high-school courses, and name the courses. 

22. Making bibliographical notes. — To illustrate biblio- 
graphical descriptions mentioned on page 431, write a 
descriptive note of about thirty words characterizing Parker's 
chapter on the use of books. Hand it in. 

23. Summary resolution. — Complete the following sen- 
tences by crossing out words and filling in blanks. Read 
the whole through first. 

'' I think the scheme of special reports described on 

r impracticable "] 

pages 428-434 is so J difficult j>that in the teaching 

L valuable J f forbid ^ 

not allow I 

of I shall ^ permit 

encourage 
each pupil 1 [ o^ [require 

ko spend ^ 10 labours each semester pre- 

the brighter pupils J 1 20 J 

1 .1 f privilege^ 

, • I three-mmute , , , \ c n 

/^n«^ 5 three-minute reportCs); thej^^^^ Jof actually 

[ I ten-minute J ^ 

r dependent 1 

presenting the report orally being ^ [.upon my 

l^not dependent J 

f I day ^ 

approval of a well-organized brief submitted-! j- before 

(^ 2 days J 

the report is due. Pupils who are exceedingly weak in 

rbe excused "1 

native talent for oral expression will-; krom 

l^not be excused j 



E226 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 
presenting their reports orally. The following are examples 



p 

of topics for such reports :^ ,, 

24. Library exercises. — What specific library training is 
provided by each item in the following practice exercise 
issued by the librarian of The University of Chicago High 
School : 

LIBRARY LESSON 2 

Practice Work 
Name of pupil 
Name of English teacher 

1. Name two books in the University High School Library by 

any one of the following authors. Use the card catalogue in finding 

these books. 

Rudyard Kipling 

Henry van Dyke 

2. Find the following numbers on the shelves and give their 
author and title : 

589-95 

C75 

821 

T31 

308 

F83 

3. Name one book on each of the following subjects : 

Travel 

Biography 

Music 

Chemistry 

History 

4. Suggest a subject for a three-minute talk in English. Desig- 
nate whether you found the material on the subject in books, 
magazines, or in both. 



THE USE OF BOOKS £22/ 

LIBRARY LESSON 3 

Practice Work 
Name of pupil 
Name of English teacher 

1. Define the following words : 

Ambiguous 
Obsolete 

2. In how many dictionaries can you find the word ^' dictograph " ? 

3. Suggest a subject for a debate. Where did you find material 
on the subject ? 

4. Find an article on one of the following subjects. Give name 

of the subject chosen and name of encyclopedia in which you found 

the subject. tt • • r ^1 • 

University 01 Chicago 

Renaissance 

Child Labor 

Life of Sir Walter Scott 

5. Suggest a subject for a theme in English in connection with 
the courses you are taking in any of the following subjects : 

Mathematics 

General Science 

German 

French 

Latin 

Shop 

Drawing 

Library 

Gymnasium 

25. Library-shidy-room management. — Do you think the 
following rules for governing a library study-room in high 
school are too severe ? Explain. 

(i) Do not admit late pupils without an excuse from the office 
or the teacher who detained them. 

(2) Do not excuse pupils from the room without giving them 
a transfer. 



E228 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(3) Pupils are not to speak to each other without the permission 
of the teacher in charge. 

(4) Pupils are to enter the library quietly, take their seats, and 
go to work. 

(5) Insist M-^on profitable use of library time. 

(6) Reserve books are not to be taken from the library until 
3 P-M. 

Additional Bibliography 

1. Hopkins, Florence M. Reference Guides that Should Be 
Known and How to Use Them. (Willard Co., Detroit, 19 16, 
187 pp., $1.50.) A manual for the bibliographical instruction of 
the layman. " Includes chapters on all the necessary subjects 
from the make-up of a printed book to the methods of obtaining 
public documents. Exercises are given for each variety of source 
taken up. Some idea of the range of this manual may be gained 
from a sketch of the topics of the contents : parts of a book ; con- 
cordances ; atlases ; dictionaries ; encyclopedias ; library classifica- 
tion ; indexes to magazine articles ; year-books, and so on. Heartily 
recommended to every high-school and college librarian concerned 
with the teaching of classes in library methods " (School Review 
book note). 

2. Magazine study. The following periodicals issue directions 
to guide teachers in using the periodicals in their classes. Some- 
times the directions appear in the current issue and sometimes 
they are sent separately. 

Literary Digest Current Events 

Independent Popular Science Monthly 

Outlook Country Gentleman 
Review of Reviews 

Write the publishers for information concerning subscription 
arrangements for classes. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XVIII 

CONVERSATIONAL METHODS 

An easy but practical chapter. — This is one of the 
easiest chapters in the book. From the standpoint of in- 
tellectual difficulty there is very little to it as compared 
with the other chapters. The practical issues raised, how- 
ever, are of sufficient importance to justify spending an 
hour in discussing it. For this purpose a few easy practical 
exercises are provided and a special assignment to give 
some further training in lesson-planning. 

Special assignment. Outline a conversational lesson. — 
Select some topic which might be taught by a conversational 
lesson in high school. Suggestions for topics may be secured 
from high-school lessons observed, textbooks, college courses 
dealing with high-school subjects, and from the lessons on 
''work" and ''participles" on pages E102 and E104. 

Write an original outline of a conversational lesson on 
the topic under the three headings given below : 

(I) Pertinent information which the high-school pupils 
might be expected to possess. 

(II) Principal points of information that the teacher ^^ovXA. 
contribute. 

(III) Exact wording of the five principal questions which 
the teacher would ask. 

Length and form of paper. — The paper should not be 
more than two theme pages in length. Arrange it under 
headings (I), (II), and (III) described above, with about five 
items under each heading. Number the items. Hand it in 

on (date). 

E229 



E230 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

1. In yottr own teaching. — Are conversational methods 
likely to play a large part in your own teaching ? Explain. 

2. Conversational versus textbook methods. — {a) Judging 
by the quotation from Harris on page 438, which type of 
teaching requires more self-confidence on the part of the 
teacher, conversational methods or textbook methods ? 

(&) Do you agree with this inference ? Why ? 

(c) Which calls for greater skill, good conversational 
teaching or good textbook teaching of the type described 
in the third sentence on page 425 ? Why? 

3. Information by teacher. — (a) In the lesson on the 
British Isles quoted on pages 439-440, tmderline the state- 
ments in which the teacher gives the pupils information 
directly. 

(b) How many items of information does he give ? 

4. Encouraging voluntary discussions. — How could a 
teacher stimulate and encourage pupils to ask questions suit- 
able for discussion without getting the reputation of being 
an '' easy teacher," as described at the bottom of page 445 ? 

5. Teacher in ignorance. — When a discussion arises in 
which the teacher himself is ignorant of the truth, as de- 
scribed at the bottom of page 446, what should he do ? 

6. Waste in Socratic lesson. — From the standpoint of 
training in correct grammatical usage, why is the Socratic 
lesson quoted on pages 443-445 a particularly vicious waste 
of time ? 

7. Art in participle lesson. — From the standpoint of this 
chapter, why does the lesson on participles printed above, on 
pages EI 04 -EI 14, rank as fine art in teaching? Give two 
or three reasons. 

8. Conversational assignment. — Imagine yourself a teacher 
of this course on methods of teaching. Prepare two or three 
questions which you would ask in introduchig this chapter 
by a conversational assignment as described at the bottom of 
page 447. Write out and hand in. 



CONVERSATIONAL METHODS E231 

9. Possibilities mid dangers. — In your own plans for 
teaching, which type of suggestions in this chapter would 
prove more useful to you, those which suggest dangers to 
be avoided or those which suggest new possibilities to be 
realized ? Explain . 

10. Late textbooks. — What suggestions do you derive 
from this chapter concerning the utilization of class periods 
when supplies of textbooks are late in arriving, as often 
happens in small towns ? 



CHAPTER Q 

FINAL EXAMINATION ON SELECTED PARTS 

Purpose and weight. Based on coherent system and l^o 
pages. — The culmination of reducing the course to a usable 
system and fixing in each student's mind the parts he should 
remember and apply is a final examination on carefully 
selected material. This material should consist of two parts : 
(i) the systematic outline of the course sketched on pages 
E156-E157, above, and (2) such pages of the text as contain 
ideas or practical suggestions which the student should 
actually use when teaching. The selection of these pages pro- 
vides for the throwing overboard of those parts of the text 
which are largely argumentative or explanatory in character 
and which have served their purpose after they have de- 
veloped certain general ideas or attitudes in the students. 

Announce in time for distributed reviews. — The scope 
of the final examination should be announced a week or 
ten days before the end of the course, to give the students 
time for several reviews at intervals of a day or more. 

Severity and weight. — The final examination on the 
selected parts should be sufficiently severe to stimulate the 
students to careful review, but in determining the average 
grade for the course it should not count more than two 
weekly tests. 

Weekly tests to the end. — In order to stimulate serious 
study of all of the material up to the end of the book, the 
weekly tests should continue through the last week of reci- 
tations, or the last chapters should be included in complete 
form in the scope of the final examination. 

E232 



EXAMINATION ON SELECTED PARTS E233 

Assignment for the final examination. — The final exam- 
ination will be based on (i) the system of ideas represented 
in the outline on pages E156-E157 above and on (2) the 
pages of the text assigned below. Both of these should be 
studied so carefully that students will remember them defi- 
nitely for at least six months and easily relearn them at any 
time in the future. Provisions for differences in interests 
are made in the alternative assignment near the end of 
the list below. 

Topics and Pages for Final Examination 

I. Science versus opinion. Quotation, pp. 502-505 
II. Broadening purposes of high-school teaching. What 
teachers are for, p. 12 ; liberal education, pp. 13- 
15 ; formula of aims, pp. 16-23 

III. Economy in classroom management, pp. 31-48 

IV. Selection and arrangement of subject matter, Chap- 

ter IV. Review the headlines sufficiently to learn 
the four main ideas thoroughly; omit details 
V. Learning processes 

A. Types of learning, pp. 96-97 

1 . Acquiring motor skill. Omit entirely 

2. Associating symbols and meanings. See alter- 

native assignmejits , belozv 

Drill; on real processes, pp. 158-160 

3. Reflective thinking 

{a) Dewey's description, pp. 183-184 
(b) Summary of guiding problem-solving; 
be able to explain and illustrate each 
point briefly, pp. 199-200 
{c) Summary of learning abstractions, 
p. 225 (p. 226 in some editions) 

4. Habits of harmless enjoyment. See alterna- 

tive assignments, below 

5. Training in expression, pp. 280-290 



E234 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

B. General aspects of learning 

1. Self -activity, p. 297 (top paragraph) 

2. Apperception, pp. 303-312 

3. Age influences. Omit entirely 

4. Interests ; instincts used, pp. 348-360 

5 . Differences in capacity, three factors in special 

seat work, pp. 385-387 

6. Supervised study, technique of, pp. 402-416 
VI. Sources of subject matter 

1 . Books ; texts and supplementary reading, pp. 42 1- 

428 (top) 

2. Conversational methods, legitimate uses, pp. 447- 

448 

3. Laboratory methods. See alternative assignments, 

below 
VII. Questioning and testing 

Technique of questioning, pp. 467-474 ; routine 
testing, pp. 493-502 

In the exercise book. — Study all of the chapter entitled 
"The Last Word," pp. E251-E257. 

Alte7'native assigmnents. — In addition to the pages 
assigned above, choose one of the following assignments : 
{a) Learning a foreign vocabulary, pp. 122-140 
(b) Enjoyment of reading, pp. 242-244, 250-266 
{c) Laboratory methods, pp. 449-463 

Factors to be tested. — Some of the questions in the 
final examination may be so phrased as to test not only the 
student's knowledge of the facts and principles included in 
the above assignments but also his ability to use these as is 
done in the exercises. For the latter purpose the questions 
should provide data from real teaching situations, and set 
problems calling for judgment in applying specific principles 
studied in the review. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XIX 

LABORATORY METHODS 

Adapt discussion to interests and technical training. — 

Difficulty arises in teaching this chapter owing to the fact 
that often only a few of the students in the method course 
expect to teach science or are well prepared in science. 
From his knowledge of the registration in his class, the 
instructor should carefully determine just how much empha- 
sis to give this chapter and which exercises to assign. 

1. History of laboratory work. — (a) Judging from the 
quotation at the bottom of page 450, would you expect the 
technique of laboratory teaching to be as well developed as 
the technique of teaching Latin or algebra 1 Explain. 

(&) Make a similar comparison between laboratory teaching 
and forming habits of enjoying literature. 

(c) Make a similar comparison between laboratory teach- 
ing and the use of problem-solving methods in the social 
sciences. 

2. Aims of laboratory work. — (a) Which statement of^ 
the aims or purposes of laboratory work do you prefer, the 
one given by Parker on pages 449-450 or the one quoted 
in paragraph i at the bottom of page 452 .? Why } 

(b) What is the force of the word '' some " in para- 
graph 4 on page 454 .-^ (Compare the last sentence in 
paragraph 7.) 

3. Qualitative versus quantitative physics. — (a) Does 
the quotation on pages 455-456 seem to oppose all meas- 
urement work in elementary physics or only certain kinds } 
Explain. 

E235 



E236 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(b) Review the quotation on page 71 and give two or 
three other examples of physical phenomena in which the 
study of the qualitative facts by experimentation could easily 
and profitably be emphasized. (For suggestions examine 
the topics on page 87.) 

4. Skill versus thought. — (a) Which type of drawing is 
more helpful in studying botany and zoology: (i) pictorial, 
representative, photo-like drawing or (2) analytic-diagrammatic 
drawing ? Explain. 

(&) Which type of drawing requires greater artistic skill .? 
Explain. 

(c) Which requires greater scientific thinking } Explain. 
{d) Is this exercise a fair illustration of the discussion on 

page 458 .? Explain. 

5. Laboratory aspect of work of scientists. — How do the 
Kepler example (pp. 180-182) and the Newton example 
(pp. 196-197) help you to understand the paragraph con- 
cerning the following of recipes at the bottom of page 459 ? 

6. Practical man versus scientist. — (a) In what different 
ways would the following persons tend to regard the educa- 
tional value of laboratory work } Why } 

(i) The so-called practical-minded schoolman who believes in 
industrial training. 

(2) Professor Michelson, granted the Nobel prize for eminence 
in scientific research (quoted on page 7 1 of the text). 

(6) Which one is more likely to be correct 1 Why 1 
(c) If you desire to know how easily even such a well- 
informed man as Francis Bacon may misunderstand scientific 
method, read pages 11 8-1 19 of S. C. Parker's ''History 
of Modern Elementary Education." 

7. Students' interests and scientific method. — Which view 
of laboratory work suggested in exercise 6 (a) would coin- 
cide best with the utilization of the interests of high-school 
pupils } (Review exercise 24, p. E48, and exercises 3 and 4, 
p. EI 78, above, on practical versus theoretical interests.) 



LABORATORY METHODS E237 

8. Discovery of scientific laws. — Show the relation between 
the discussions indicated below. Make a memorandum 
after each item, showing its essential point, also a memo- 
randum of the general relation which you discover between 
the items. 

(i) Page 460, second paragraph, first sentence. 

(2) Page 454, paragraph 7. 

(3) Exercise 18, p. E89, above, entitled "Geometer's sagacity." 

9. Apperception ; abstractions. — State how the quotation 
beginning on page 460 illustrates the following : 

(i) The principle of apperception. (Review pp. 300-312, 
headlines.) 

(2) The principles of teaching abstract ideas (p. E97). 

10. Verification. This is a hard one. Try it. — We have 
had the idea of verification before us for discussion in 
three connections : 

First, in the quotation about scientific method on page 504, 
the opening sentence and also the second sentence from 
the bottom. 

Second, m problem-solving ^ pages 196-198. 

Third, in laboratory methods, page 454, paragraph 7 
("prove the law"), and page 461, last line. 

(a) What differences in the use of the term (or in the 
ideas of verification) appear to you in these three discussions } 

(b) Would any one of the types of verification described 
enter into the pupils' solution of the laboratory problems 
suggested at the top of page 462 .? Explain. 

11. Sample assignment. — Wherein does the teacher's art 
consist in the following example t 

The laboratory exercise for a physics class has this title : " When 
one cubic foot of the gas produced by your home company is 
burned, how much heat is produced by the combustion ? " 

Before taking up the exercise the teacher reads a clipping from 
a newspaper which begins as follows : 



E238 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

HEATING POWER OF CHICAGO'S GAS 

" Consumers of gas in Chicago have been informed by Alder- 
man Merriam that the Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company 
is preparing to 'wash out' some of the extra heating efficiency 
from the commercial product which it sends through its meters to 
cook the dinners of this big community and otherwise add to the 
comfort of the citizens. The local public should take an interest 
in this announcement for more reasons than one." 

12. Evaluate a laboratory lesson. — Read rapidly the fol- 
lowing laboratory lesson prepared by T. R. Wilkins of The 
University of Chicago High School. Point out tzvo good 
qualities of the lesson, preferably in terms of Parker's 
chapter or the class discussion. 

"A STUDY OF MUSICAL SCALES 

" You have found in Experiment 41 that there is a definite 
relation between the length of a stretched string and the note 
produced. In stringed instruments like the violin, banjo, mandolin, 

h 

A 

Figure 86 



guitar, etc. the different notes of the scale are produced by pressing 
the finger at certain definite points on the string, thus permitting 
different lengths of the string to vibrate. Just how much must the 
string be shortened to get the ordinary major scale ? 

" Procedure 

" A. Place enough tension on the wire of apparatus (figure 86) 
to get a definite tone. Then by shifting the bridge, determine the 
lengths of the wire which give the tones of the ordinary scale, — 
do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do. 



LABORATORY METHODS 



E239 



"j5. Change the tension of the wire slightly and determine 
another set of positions, 

" C. Change the bridge to get a new do and find a new set of 
positions. 

'' Calculations. With the data in A^ use the law which you found 
in Experiment 41 to calculate the relative frequencies of the notes 
of the scale. 

'' Record of Data 





do 


re 


mi 


fa 


sol 


la 


si 


do 


Length 


















Relative lengths 


















Relative frequencies 



















" I. From the relative frequencies of your three trials, how are 
the relative frequencies of the scale affected by change of pitch 
of do obtained.? 

" {a) by change of tension 1 

" ip) by change of length ? 

"2. The notes do^ mi, j-^/ when sounded together are called the 
major chord. Careful measurements give these notes the relative 
frequencies 4, 5, and 6. How do these compare with your results ? 

"3. The whole scale which you have determined is called the 
major scale. It is made up of three major chords. Can you find 
them from your data ? 

" 4. With the help of question 2, make a table of vibration 
frequencies for an octave starting with C = 256. 

" 5. Make a similar table for an octave starting with G. 

" The Tempered Scale 

'' If all music were written in the scale of C, the major scale 
would suffice. If G is taken as do, as in 5, it will be found that 
six of the above notes in each octave can be used in this new key, 
but that two additional ones are required, and to build up scales 



E240 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

in all keys would necessitate about fifty notes in each octave. To 
avoid this difficulty, Bach (1685-175 o) invented the 'tempered 
scale' in which the octave is divided into twelve equal intervals. 
(The interval between two notes is defined as the ratio of their 
vibration numbers.) Thus on the piano the ' interval ' between 
each two of the twelve notes placed in the octave is not far 
from If. It is exactly the twelfth root of 2. 

"6. Five black keys are placed with eight white keys to give 
the required intervals. What was the ratio : between B and C, and 
E and F on the major scale? Why then was it not necessary to 
place black keys between these ? 

"7. By consulting the text, find the values for C in the 3 pitches 
Scientific, International, and Concert. 

'' The sections of the text dealing with this work are pp. ^;^ 1-333. 
These are to be read by next class day." 

Additional Bibliography 

Popular science. — The Popular Science Monthly issues sugges- 
tions for science lessons based on articles in the magazine. These 
link up laboratory work with everyday affairs very effectively. 
Address the publishers of the magazine, asking to be placed on 
their mailing list for lessons. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XX 

THE ART OF QUESTIONING 

Another easy chapter. — Like the chapter on conversa- 
tional methods, there are few intellectual difficulties in this 
chapter. There are five or six simple points which the 
following exercises may emphasize. 

1. Related discussions. — How does the discussion on 
pages 467-468 make application of each of the following ? 

(a) Part of Chapter IV, on subject matter ? 
(6) The principles of apperception discussed on pages 
300-312.? 

(c) Chapter XV, on differences in capacity } 

(d) Chapter XI, on expression .? 

2. Marking answers in recitations. — (a) Would the prac- 
tice of entering a grade for each pupil when he has finished 
reciting be considered helpful or pernicious in view of the 
discussion on pages 466-467 } Explain. 

(6) Evaluate the practice described in (a) in view of the 
black-type headline on page 468. 

3. Order in drill qiLestio7is. — Would the paragraph be- 
ginning line 9, page 469, apply to rapid-drill questioning 1 
Explain. (Compare the technique described in exercise 11, 
pp. E77-E78, for the use of drill cards.) 

4. Pursuing and assisting individuals. — Would the 
paragraph at the middle of page 470 lose all its force if 
there were no periods of supervised study ? Explain. 

5. Pace in participle lesson. — id) Is the lesson on par- 
ticiples reported on pages E104-EI14 primarily one in 
reflective thinking or drill } Explain. 

E241 



E242 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

(b) How many minutes did it last ? 

(c) How many questions did the teacher ask ? 

(d) Do you conclude that the pace was correct or not ? 
Explain. 

6. Violations in sample lesson. — What specific cautions 
in this chapter concerning good questioning are violated in 
the following : 

(a) In the lesson on '* The Lady of the Lake," quoted 
above, on pages E163-E164 ? 

(&) In the lesson on Minos, pages E159-E161 ? 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XXI 

PRACTICE TEACHING AND LESSON-PLANNING 

For guidance in practice teaching. — Most of this chapter 
is intended for practical guidance in actually organizing prac- 
tice teaching, rather than for class discussions. Moreover, 
the part which deals with lesson plans has been utilized in 
connection with earlier assignments. (See above, pp. EI15, 
EI 30.) Consequently only a few exercises are provided for 
discussion. 

In answering the exercises each student should think of 
himself as the practice teacher. 

1. Knowledge of stcbject matter. — (a) If you had to begin 
to teach six high-school classes different material (for exam- 
ple, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, beginning Latin, Caesar, 
and English composition) to-morrow, how far ahead of them 
in the textbooks would you be able to keep in your 
preparation 1 

(b) Would it be possible to carry out many of the ideals 
of teaching presented in Parker's book ? Explain. 

(c) If you had to undertake superior practice teaching of 
the recitation type described on pages 424-425, with one 
class, how many hours would it take you to prepare yourself 
in the subject matter for each day } 

(d) Would the type of preparation and training secured in 
(c) be of any benefit in the situation described in (a) .? Why ? 

2. Practice in routine phases. — (a) What are some of 
the easy routine phases of classroom procedure to which a 
practice teacher might be early and easily introduced } 

(b) What would be the psychological advantage to the 
practice teacher in such an introduction ? 

E243 



E244 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

3. Which judgment aspects ? — In initiating a practice 
teacher, after having provided for adequate knowledge of 
subject matter and training in certain routine matters, what 
would be one of the first judgment factors to be emphasized 
in his teaching? (See pp. 2^ and 476 of the text for 
meaning of judgment factors.) 

4. Ten mintUes of teaching. — id) Would it be feasible 
in your subject to permit a practice teacher to teach only- 
ten or fifteen minutes in a period } Explain. 

(6) What would be the advantages of initiating a practice 
teacher by this method } 

5. Planning lessons; Herbartian steps. — (a) In the 
lesson on participles (pp. E104-EI14, above) indicate ap- 
proximately where each of the Herbartian formal steps 
seems to begin. 

(&) Do the steps seem to serve a useful purpose in this 
lesson } Explain. 

(c) To what extent do the steps appear in the '' work " 
lesson on pages E102-103, above.? 

{d) Do any of the steps appear in the '' Marmion " lesson 
on pages ei 31-136, above.? 

(e) Which step is emphasized in exercise 22, on pages 
E172-E173, above, about the goldfinch.? 

(/) Give a summary conclusion concerning the use of 
the Herbartian formal steps in organizing lessons. 

6. Plans ; separation of subject matter and method. — 
Is the separation of subject matter and method in planning 
lessons (see p. 482) desirable — 

(a) For a conscientious, experienced, skilled teacher? 
Why? 

(&) For an inexperienced lazy teacher ? Why ? 
(c) For yourself as a teacher ? Why ? 

7. Reports on teachers. — Would the report outlined on 
page 490 be of any practical value to you as a regular 
beginning high-school teacher ? Explain. 



EXERCISES ON CHAPTER XXII 

MEASURING THE RESULTS OF TEACHING 

Large practical value. — The topic of this chapter is of 
large practical importance to all teachers. The discussion 
falls under three main headings ; namely : 
I. Value of tests and examinations. 
II. Technique of giving routine tests or quizzes. 
III. Scientific measurement of results. 

I. Value of Tests and Examinations 

1. Tests imp7'ove i'ecitatio7is . — How may frequent written 
tests improve recitations 1 (Several answers may be inferred 
from pages 493-494.) 

2. Tests as stimuhis. — Do you consider written tests a 
vicious, unnatural form of stimulus, unlike the stimuli of 
social life 1 Explain. 

3. Tests as training. — Explain the following statement: 
Written tests in some subjects provide one of the best 
forms of training for business correspondence. 

4. Written tests; varied testimony. — (a) Which testi- 
mony concerning the value of frequent written tests would 
you accept as most valid, that of college students and alumni 
reported in the investigation summarized at the bottom of 
page 495 or the opinions of teachers who oppose the 
practice } Explain. 

(&) Would your conclusions from {a) apply with equal 
weight to high-school teaching 1 Explain. 

5. Memory tests as diagnosis of ability. — (a) Does care- 
ful observation of your fellow students bear out this statement : 

E245 



E246 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

" Students who rank high in their ability to understand lessons in 
history and science, and to do independent study in these lines, also 
rank high in memory tests on material which they study carefully." 

(&) Would you conclude that tests of what is remembered 
by students from their preparation would be sufficient for 
purposes of stimulus and diagnosis ? Explain. 

II. Technique of Routine Tests and Quizzes 

6. Surprise tests. — (a) Which one of the following ideas, 
(i) or (2), carries greatest weight with you.? Explain. 

(i) Owing to the nervous strain entailed, surprise tests should 
be avoided, and tests should be given regularly on certain days ; 
for example, every Monday. 

(2) In order to stimulate students to prepare their lessons every 
day, the practice of giving a test any day should prevail. 

(&) Is your answer influenced by your own temperament } 
Explain. 

(c) What bearing does the chapter on supervised study 
have on your answer.? (See p. 416, middle paragraph.) 

7. Too long for the brightest. — Which of the following 
factors carries greatest weight with you in determining the 
amount of time given to students to finish a test 1 Explain. ^ 

(i) The desirability of securing a rigorous, comparative, scientific 
measure of the relative abilities of pupils, as suggested on pages 
496-497 of the text. 

(2) The desirability of establishing a more complacent mental 
condition during tests, as suggested on page E23 of the exercise book. 

8. Final examinations ; nattire and weight. — (a) Sum- 
marize the suggestions for tests and final examinations 
recommended in the exercise book by Parker for this 
course. (See above, pp. E23, E198, E199, E232.) 

1 The author had nervous exhaustion in the interval between the publi- 
cation of pages 496-497 and page E23. 



MEASURING THE RESULTS OF TEACHING E247 

(b) Evaluate his scheme. 

(c) Would you apply it in your own teaching in high 
school ? Why ? 

(d) In the light of this scheme, what objection is there 
to excusing auj/ pupils from final examinations ? 

9. Grading questions separately. — Show how the grading 
of each question separately in discussion papers (as recom- 
mended on pages 500-501) contributes to mental economy 
for the teacher as well as ino7'e rigorous grading. 

10. Evaluate questions on Parker s chapter. — Discuss the 
advisability of using each of the following questions in a 
written test on Parker's chapter on Measuring Results. 
(Consider (a) fairness, (&) whether too minute or too 
general, (c) encouraging cramming of mere words instead 
of ideas, {d) possibility of bluffing, (e) requiring use of judg- 
ment by pupil, (/) testing pupils' ability to apply the ideas, 
and other features.) 

SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR EXERCISE 10 

(i) Discuss methods of grading papers. 

(2) Describe the method of grading papers by relative position. 

(3) Show how written tests improve recitations. 

(4) What does Parker say concerning difficulties in measuring 
habits of enjoyment ? 

(5) What are the characteristics of scientific judgments or 
methods according to Thomdike ? 

(6) Complete the following sentence : "The progress in a science 
of education is shown by the following facts concerning the meet- 
ings of school superintendents in 19 12 and fifteen years earlier." 

11. Evaluate questions on composition. — (a) What phases 
of the student's study and progress (as given by Parker on 
page 498) are tested by each of the following questions on 
English composition } 

(b) Evaluate each question in the light of Parker's dis- 
cussion. 



E248 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR EXERCISE 11 

(i) Define unity, coherence, and emphasis. 

(2) Explain how you would give a paragraph proper emphasis. 

(3) Complete the following sentence : '' There are three distinct 
devices used by good writers to weld together their sentences, after 
they have been properly arranged. These are " 

(4) (a) Write a paragraph on the following topics : 

" The referee's decisions in yesterday's game were impartial, 
though at times erroneous." 

'' The appearance of the automobile has been greatly 

improved in the latest model." 

(b) Which of the following plans of ordering your material did 
you use : time order, space order, climax ? 

(c) Point out any of the following devices you may have used 
to give your paragraph coherence, naming and classifying each 
device : repetition of word or phrase, conjunction, relative pronoun 
or adjective, demonstrative. 

12. Evaluate qtiestions on literature. — In the following 
list of questions label with M the four that would have 
most value in testing a class in literature and with L the 
two which would have least value. Explain your choice in 
the light of Parker's chapter. 

SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR EXERCISE 12 

(i) Give the main outline of the plot of " Ivanhoe," and briefly 
describe the important characters. 

(2) What can you say of the style of Milton's " Comus " ? 

(3) Of all the dramas, stories, and poems studied this term, 
which do you like best, and why t 

(4) Make a drawing, no matter how crude, of the picture 
Tennyson's " Break, Break, Break " presents to your imagination. 

(5) If we were to dramatize " The Lady of the Lake," what 
part would you prefer to play, and why ? 

(6) Suppose you are a magazine editor. Someone has sent 
you the manuscript of *' Silas Marner." You decide to publish 
this story serially in your paper. Mention several points at which 
you would have your installments end. 



MEASURING THE RESULTS OF TEACHING E249 

(7) Define and explain the following terms : target ; claymore ; 
ducats; Rialto; '' upon the hip " ; "speak me fair to death." 

(8) Suppose we are going to put on the play '' Macbeth." 
We must design a costume for Lady Macbeth which not only fits 
into the period historically but which at the same time will suggest 
or typify the character of the woman. What shall we have her wear ? 

(9) Write a character sketch of King Duncan. 

(10) You have been asked to commit five lines of verse to 
memory. Give the lines and tell why you chose those particular ones. 

13. Final exaniinatio7i questions in this course. — Do you 
approve of the scheme described below for the final exami- 
nation questions in this course } Explain. 

For a rigorous examination one instructor divides the questions 
into three sets and allows the students a limited time on each set. 
(i) The first set asks for detailed information from the text; for 
example, " Describe the spirit of discipline in the Jesuit schools." 
(2) The second set asks for fundamental principles of teaching; 
for example, " Describe and explain the fundamental principles to 
be observed in teaching new abstract ideas." (3) The third set pro- 
vides practical problems with data as in exercises 1 1 and 1 2 above. 

III. Scientific Measurement of Results 

14. Thorndike and Aye rs. — What points are there in 
common between the quotations from Thorndike on pages 
502-503 and Ayers on pages 504-505 } Underline the 
statements that contain common ideas and label Ex, 14. 

15. Science and opinion in Parker s text. — (a) Indicate 
roughly the topics and total number of pages in Parker's 
text which would be classed as scientific according to the 
definition on page 504. 

(6) What per cent of the book remains as opinion t 
(c) What portions of the scientific part are dotk conclu- 
sive and practical} Indicate pages and topics. 

{d) What portions of the scientific part are merely sug- 
gestive^ but not conclusive or practical } 



E250 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

16. Summary ; an educational creed. — Read Parker's 
educational creed described at the bottom of page viii of 
the preface and outlined below, then answer the following: 

(a) Can any one of the main ideas be dispensed with in 
a well-balanced system of education ? Explain. 

(&) Can you add any fundamental idea concerning teach- 
ing which is not provided for under one of these headings ? 

(c) Why are the authors and references given below ? 



Fundamental Educational Ideas 


Emphasized by 


I. All instruction should be radically adapted to 
contemporary social needs, scientifically ascertained. 


Spencer ^ 
Dewey ^ 


2, Methods of teaching should be based on sound 
principles of modern scientific psychology. 


Dewey ^ 
Thorndike * 
Judd^ 


3. Principles of scientific business management 
should be applied to all teaching. 


Bobbitt 6 
Bagley 7 



References. — 1 Education. ^ School and Society. ^ How We Think. 
* Educational Psychology. ^ Psychology of High-School Subjects. 
^ " Supervision of City Schools," Twelfth Yearbook of the National Society 
for the Study of Education. '^ Classroom Management. 

Additional Bibliography 

RuGG, H. O., and Clark, J. R. Standardized Tests and the 
Improvement of Teaching in First- Year Algebra. School Review^ 
February and March, 19 17, Vol. XXV, pp. 1 13-132, 196-213. 
Final report of a long investigation to determine standards of 
efficiency in algebraical processes. 



CHAPTER R 

THE LAST WORD 

Public Service and the Gospel of Recreation 

Purpose. — The purpose of this chapter is to show 
teachers the way to greatest social service through special- 
ization in teaching, maintenance of many-sided interests in 
life, and practice of the gospel of recreation. 

Service. Teachers are important public-service agents. — 
The social service of a teacher is one of the most direct 
and far-reaching form.s of public service. Service in public 
schools ranks in importance with the work of the statesman 
and the soldier. The large possibilities of teaching in deter- 
mining the character of a people is strikingly illustrated in 
the Hohenzollern schools of Prussia. With single-minded 
purpose the able Prussian despots, Frederick the Great and 
his father and descendants, set out to make Prussia for the 
Hohenzollerns a powerful state. They established public 
schools everywhere, that they might have agencies to train 
the people to believe in their rulers and support them. 
They required the teaching of religion and national history 
so as to glorify the divinely inspired (?) Hohenzollern 
family. The great European war demonstrated their suc- 
cess in developing a unified people with thorough confi- 
dence in its despotic leaders and ready to follow them to 
any end. 

There are similar possibilities of large influence through 
education in any state. In America the recognition of the 
importance of public education is attested by the enormous 
sums voted by public authorities for schools and teachers. 

E251 



E252 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Hence, he who teaches well subjects that are clearly adapted 
to contemporary social needs may , rest assured that his 
services are of large, direct, social value to the state. 

Specialization. Specialised expert service the most effi- 
cient and helpful. — Developments in modern science and 
in business practice have demonstrated clearly that the most 
efficient service comes through specialization. Hence a 
teacher to be of greatest service should specialize upon 
a sufficiently narrow field to become a7i expert in it. To the 
extent that he falls short of expertness he fails to achieve 
the greatest service. To become an expert in the teaching 
of any one high-school subject necessitates years of study of 
its special problems and practice in solving them. In view 
of this fact it is not desirable or necessary to spend time 
or energy on other forms of social service. The efficient 
public-service teacher may easily satisfy his social-service 
conscience through his specialized teaching services. 

Perso7ial achievement grows from, specialized service. — 
Such specialized efficiency contributes not only the greatest 
social service but also contributes to the greatest individual 
achievement. One of the most tangible forms of such 
achievement is published textbook material. The practical 
accomplishment of most great educational reforms has de- 
pended upon the publication of good textbooks. Such text- 
books are being written more and more frequently by 
high-school teachers. Any expert teacher may easily pre- 
pare small amounts of material for publication, and eventu- 
ally larger volumes. Expertness and publications easily 
secure public recognition and promotion to higher positions. 

Expert teaching service necessitates broad acquaintance 
with life. — In order that the specialized teacher of any 
one subject may adapt his instruction to the varied needs 
of the heterogeneous group of boys and girls that now 
attend high schools, it is necessary that he have wide 
acquaintance with ordinary life so that he may find many 



THE LAST WORD E253 

points of contact in his subject. The modern high school 
in all departments is closely related to daily life, and in 
each subject the same close relationship should prevail. 

Become a spectator of life iii many situations. — In 
order to achieve this broad acquaintance with life the 
teacher should be an observer of people in many different 
situations. There may be direct observations of life in 
cities, towns, and rural districts, in shops, stores, and 
offices, in the homes of business men, mechanics, and 
stenographers, of people at work and play in all walks of 
life except the vicious and immoral ; or there may be i^idi- 
rect observations in stories, the movies, the spoken drama, 
and the accounts of affairs in newspapers and periodicals. 

The term ''spectator" is used to suggest that the 
teacher is 7iot a responsible agent or serions student in 
these situations, but merely an interested observer. The 
responsibilities of merely teaching are sufficient for most 
persons. Additional responsibilities will probably detract 
from their efficiency as teachers and thus detract from 
their service to the public or the state. 

Fitness. Keep yourself fit for service. — In order to give 
the greatest service the teacher should keep himself physi- 
cally and mentally fit for service. An excellent lesson in 
this regard may be gained from the training and discipline 
of an army. Here, in modern training camps, a very defi- 
nite physical arid moral discipline is practiced which keeps 
each soldier thoroughly fit for the public service he is to 
perform. Ideally, a similar system of keeping teachers fit 
should be organized. Unfortunately the opposite practice 
usually prevails, and public-school authorities often make 
their teachers unfit through the many and heavy duties 
imposed upon them. This condition makes it especially 
important, however, that each individual understand his 
physical and recreational needs and learn to live so as to 
keep himself fit for the best service. 



E254 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

Physical fitness through diet, exercise, and sleep, — Every 
teacher should have learned from his studies in physiology 
and hygiene to understand the needs of his body for nourish- 
ment and recuperation. In simple terms, he may think of 
his food as providing materials for building up his body 
and the fuel for the energy which he uses in his work. 
He may think of exercise as securing thorough increased 
circulation of the blood and increased respiration. These 
carry the upbuilding substances and fuel to the various parts 
of the body where they are needed, and carry away the waste 
products of activity. He may think of sleep as a period 
during which the charges in his storage batteries of energy 
are renewed and during which the very happy and useful 
process of forgetting may go on — since complete forgetting 
of many of our experiences is one of the greatest aids to 
mental health. For excellent nontechnical advice concerning 
health, all teachers should read '' How to Live," by I. Fisher 
and E. L. Fiske, published by Funk and Wagnalls under 
the auspices of a national organization for improving health. 

Preserve proper emotional tone. — Since the emotional 
tone of the teacher has such a profound influence upon 
his pupils' responses, it becomes one of the largest factors 
in one's fitness for service. The continuous physical rege7i- 
eration and forgetting described above contribute enor- 
mously to the maintenance of proper emotional tone and 
are sufficient for this purpose in the case of certain sturdy, 
phlegmatic teachers with callous consciences and meager 
emotions. Most teachers, however, have tender consciences 
and need a definite recreational program in order to assist 
in the process of forgetting their responsibilities. 

Recreation. Practice the gospel of recreation. — The need 
for distraction from one's responsible interests was empha- 
sized by William James, in 1899, in his '' Talks to Teachers," 
in a famous chapter called The Gospel of Relaxation. In 
it he said : 



THE LAST WORD E255 

" The need of feeling responsible all the livelong day has 
been preached long enough in our New England. Long enough 
exclusively, at any rate, — and long enough to the female sex. 
What our girl-students and woman-teachers most need nowadays 
is not the exacerbation, but rather the toning-down of their moral 
tensions. Even now I fear that some one of my fair hearers may 
be making an undying resolve to become strenuously relaxed, 
cost what it will, for the remainder of her life. It is needless to 
say that this is not the way to do it. The way to do it, para- 
doxical as it may seem, is genuinely not to care whether you are 
doing it or not. Then, possibly, by the grace of God, you may all 
at once find that you are doing it, and, having learned what the 
trick feels like, you may (again by the ^grace of God) be enabled 
to go on." 

It is not necessary, however, to trust to the " grace of 
God " or the feeling of '' don't care " in order to secure 
distraction from one's responsible interests. A much surer, 
safer, and effective practice is to develop positive recreational 
interests. 

Develop many-sided recreational interests. — If a teacher 
works effectively eight hours a day at his public-service teach- 
ing and in preparation for it, he has done sufficient for his 
country, and several of the remaining hours should be spent 
in irresponsible, interesting, enjoyable activities which will 
replace in his mind his responsible lines of thought and 
allow these to subside until they are needed when teaching 
begins again. The varied spectator activities described above, 
especially pleasing stories and the drama, and the observa- 
tion of interesting, attractive persons at play furnish some 
of the most effective and pleasing temporary memories and 
trains of images to occupy one's mind. '' Contemplative 
play " (a term coined by Thorndike) contains a happy 
suggestion of the desirable frame of mind which results. 

Play outdoor games for exercise and for complacent con- 
templation. — The best form of recreational interest, how- 
ever, for many persons is some form of outdoor game or 



E256 EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 

sport, one which provides abundant fresh air with sufficient 
exercise to stimulate the circulation, produces a pleasing 
physical fatigue conducive to sleep, and leaves pleasing 
memories for '' playing the game over again " in one's 
mind, with pleasant anticipations of the next game. 

The general improvement in mental tone which results 
from outdoor games is attractively presented by James in 
the following quotation : 

" Consider, for example, the effects of a well-toned motor- 
apparatus^ nervous and muscular, on our general personal self- 
consciousness, the sense of elasticity and efficiency that results. 
They tell us that in Norway the life of the women has lately been 
entirely revolutionized by the new order of muscular feelings with 
which the use of the ski., or long snow-shoes, as a sport for both 
sexes, has made the women acquainted. Fifteen years ago the 
Norwegian women were even more than the women of other 
lands votaries of the old-fashioned ideal of femininity, ' the domes- 
tic angel,' the ' gentle and refining influence ' sort of thing. Now 
these sedentary fireside tabby-cats of Norway have been trained, 
they say, by the snow-shoes into lithe and audacious creatures, for 
whom no night is too dark or height too giddy, and who are not 
only saying good-bye to the traditional feminine pallor and deli- 
cacy of constitution, but actually taking the lead in every educa- 
tional and social reform. I cannot but think that the tennis [and 
golfing] and tramping and skating habits which are so rapidly 
extending among our dear sisters and daughters in this country 
are going also to lead to a sounder and heartier moral tone, which 
will send its tonic breath through all our American life." 

Time. Don't say yoti have tit time. — Finally, do not 
say you lack the time for recreation, for many of the greatest 
of men have followed definite recreational programs to keep 
themselves fit for service. A most notable recent example 
is the way in which President Wilson spent part of his day 
during the war. In the morning, before office hours, he 
motored with his wife to the links and played golf for about 



THE LAST WORD E257 

two hours. In the evening he commonly spent the hours in 
pleasant pastimes with family or friends, in reading fasci- 
nating fiction, particularly detective stories, or in attending 
the theater. Is your time so much more valuable than that 
of President Wilson that you cannot afford a few hours a 
day to keep yourself fit for years of efficient service ? 

Warning. — Remember now thy healthy in the days of thy 
youths lest the evil days come as the years roll by, and 
thotL shall say thoti hast no pleasure in them,. 



INDEX 



The following references pertain only to the material in the " Exercises." For the 
index to the textbook proper, see page 523 of the latter. 



Abstractions, E97-E114 
Advertising, E145, E147 
Age, E175 
Aims, E17-E22 
Algebra, e8o, E98, E191 
Allen, I. M., E210 
Apperception, E158, E164-E174 
Argumentation, E143 
Art, E120-E123 
Artistic teaching, E188 
Assigning exercises, E14 
Assignments, E180, E209 
Association, E63-E70, E74-E81 
Athletics, EI18 
Attention, E179 
Audience, E145, E149 

Batavia scheme, E196 
Blackboard outline, E27, E53 
Books, E216-E228 
Botany, E44 
Business management, E28 

Cards for drill, E77 

Cartoons, E186 

Chemistry, E44 

Cheyney, E. P., E167 

Civics, E43 

Classics, EI 30 

Clubs, EI 18 

Coherence, E52 

Collecting, E182 

Composition, E142-E155 

Condensing course, E198 

Conversational method, E229-E231 

Cooperation in English, E152 

Correcting, E149 

Curiosity, E182 

Dancing, E118 
Dates, E46 
Definitions, E99, E165 



Democratic ideals, E17, E28 

Dewey, J., E87 

Direct methods, E63-E70 

Discipline, E32 

Dominance by teacher, E164 

Drama, EI19 

Drill, E74-E81 

Ears, moving, E56 

Economy of time, E5, E28-E33 

Efficiency, E19 

Emotional tone, E174 

Emulation, E182 

Engleman, J. O., E136 

EngHsh, E38, E120-E139, E142-E155 

Enjoyment, E19, EI17-E139 

Equipment, E30 

Examination, final, E232-E234 

Examinations, E245-E250 

Exercises, eioo 

Expression, E142-E155 

Fiction, E124, E128, E138 
Final examination, E232-E234 
First-day teaching, E28 
Follow-up letter, E201 
•Foreign language, E63-E70, E79, 

E175, E184 
French, E57, e68, E76. See Foreign 

language and Phonetics 

•Galton, F., E90 
General ideas, E97-E114 
General science, E37, E49, E50, eioi 
Geography, E166 
Geometry, E44, E49, E88-E89, E91 
German, E28. See also Foreign lan- 
guage. Phonetics 
"Goldfinch, The," E172 
Golf, EI 22 

Gouin series, e66— E69 
Grading, E195 
E259 



E26o EXERCISES FOR METHODS OF TEACHING 



Graphing, E91, E191 
Grammar, E46, E99, E103 

Habits, E2I 

Health, E22, E253-E257 

Herbartian steps, E244 

History, E37, E42-E44, E46, E48,E49, 

E84, E87, E1.59, EI 66, E219-E221 
Hohenzollerns, E251 
Home study, E158, E203 
Hosic, J. F., EI 51, E2o6 
Humor, E4, E183 

Ideals, E2I 

Individual differences, E4, E40, E99, 

EI 28, E190-E197, E224 
Information, E22 
Information blank, E9 
Instincts, E176, E177-E187 
Interest, E3, E21, E48, E73, E123, 

E177-E187 
" I Shall Try " paper, E199 

James, WiUiam, E254 
Jefferson, Thomas, E17 
Jesuits, E32 

Kepler, e86 

" Lady of the Lake," lessons on, ei 63 

Laboratory, E221, E235-E240 

Lally, Eleanor, E103 

"Last Word, The," E251 

Leadership, E17 

Lesson planning, EI15, E243-E244 

Lessons, reports of, on vocal train- 
ing, E59-E62 ; in problem-solving 
in a social science, E93-E96 ; on 
"work," E101-E103; on parti- 
ciples, E103-EI 14; on "Marmion," 
E130-E136; on Minos, E159- 
E161 ; on " Lady of the Lake," 
E163; in supervised study, E210- 
E214; on socialism, E219-E221; 
on library, E226-E228; on mu- 
sical scales, E238-E240 

Lewis, W. D., E151, E206 

Liberal education, E18 

Library, E226-E228 

Literary Digest, EI17, E125 

Literature, E120-E139, E163 

Logic, EI 28 

Lyman, R. L., E152 



Magazines, E137 

" Marmion," lesson on, E130-E136 
Mathematics, E30, E37, E49, e8o, 
EI 66. See also Algebra, Geometry 
McAndrews, W., E17 
McConnel, J. M., E93 
Measuring results, E245-E250 
Miller, E. L., E151 
Minos, lessons on, E159 
Morality, E19 
Motor control, E56-E62 
Music, EI 18 

Napoleon, E168-E171 
Normal distribution, E195 
Notebooks, E31 

Observation, E34-E35, E63, E82, 

E141 
Opinion versus science, EII-E13. 

See also Scientific method 
Oral reports, E222-E226 
Organizing material, E90 
Outlining, E25 
Outline of course, ei 56 

Participles, lessons on, E103-EI14 
Periodicals, E71, E126, E137, •E225, 

E228, E240 
Personality, E181 
Phonetics, E58, E78 
Physical fitness, E253 
Physics, Eioi, E235 
Piano, E75 
Pictures, E169, E184 
Planning lessons, EI15, E243-E244 
Poetry, E122, E125 
Practice, E74-E81 
Practice teaching, E243-E244 
Preparation, E169-E173 
Problem-solving, E82-E96 
Pronunciation, E57, E58, E78 
Public speaking, e6o 
Pupil activity, E162 
Purposes, EI 7-E22 

Questioning, E241-E242 

Reading, E123-E139, E216; rates of, 

E192-E195 
Ready-made material, E65, E92 
Reasoning, E82-EI14, E176' 
Reavis, E206 



INDEX 



E26l 



Recitations, ei8o. See also Books, 

Textbooks 
Recreation, EI17, E254 
Reflective thinking, E82-EI14 
Relative values, E45-E48 
Reports, oral, E222-E226 
Reviews, E26 
Roll call, E29 
Rough drafts, E148 

Sample lessons. See Lessons 

Seating, E29 

Self-activity, E5, E73, E158-E164 

Science, E44, E49, E50. See also 
Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Lab- 
oratory 

Science versus opinion, E11-E13 

Scientific method, ei 1-E13, E59, E74, 
E92, E146, E190, E236 

Series, Gouin, e66 

Service, E251 

Sex hygiene, E47 

Shepard, O., E172 

Singing, E58-E60 

Social needs, E41 

Social sciences, E83, E92-E96 

Socialism, E219-E221 

Specialization, E252 



Spencer, H., E45 

Statistics, E190 

Stenographic reports of lessons. See 

Lessons 
Study, EI 5, EI 58, E203-E215 
Subject matter, E40-E51, E180 
Success, teacher's, eio 
Suggestion, e88 
Supervised study, E203-E215 
Supplementary reading, E221 
System, e6 

Tact, E32 

Taj Mahal, E173 

Taylor, B. L., E120-E121 

Tests, E23-E25, E245-E250 

Textbooks, E36-E39, E217-E221 

Transition in course, E156 

Types of learning, E55 

Verification, E90, E237 
Vocal training, E58-E62 
Vocational interests, E178 
Vocational training, E18 

Wilkins, T. R., E238 
Women's clubs, E222 
'* Work," lesson on, eioi 






iiff^' 






